Extract from Education
questions: Israel and Antisemitism: Secondary School
Education
(Harrow East) (Con): What steps she is taking to
support education on Israel and antisemitism
in secondary schools. (902521)
The Minister for Schools (): I have been horrified and
appalled to see the rise in antisemitism in education since 7
October. It is unacceptable and it cannot be tolerated. My right
hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written to all schools and
colleges reminding them of their duties under Prevent, and we are
investing £7 million to help tackle antisemitism across
education.
: My right hon. Friend is clearly right that the rise
of antisemitism in schools—or anywhere—is absolutely
unacceptable. One of the causes is the failure of schools to
teach children about the history of Israel and the
fact that Jewish people have occupied Israel for over 3,000
years. Indeed, the Balfour declaration set up the creation of the
modern state of Israel As that is not
communicated, there is widespread ignorance and people do not
believe that Jewish people have occupied that land for so long.
Will my right hon. Friend conduct a review of the curriculum to
ensure that young people are properly educated about the history
of Israel
: I appreciate what my hon.
Friend says. History is a very important subject for many
reasons. Learning about Israel and the wider
region can be covered in history, for example in the “challenges
for Britain, Europe and the wider world since 1901” theme. In
general, we do not specify individual historical events in our
national curriculum, with the sole exception of the holocaust, as
he will know.
(Strangford) (DUP): I thank the Minister for his
positive and helpful response. What discussions has he had with
counterparts in the devolved nations, in particular in Northern
Ireland, where the two different groups—the nationalists and the
Unionists; the Protestants and the Catholics—have been able to
develop an understanding on education? They are able to look at
each other without the suspicion that may have been there 20 or
30 years ago. Has the Minister had a chance to talk to the
devolved nations to ascertain whether introducing compulsory
education on the importance of combatting antisemitism is
possible, taking the Northern Ireland example as one that
works?
: I always value opportunities
to speak to colleagues and counterparts in the devolved
Administrations. I believe that we will have another opportunity
relatively soon to speak to the hon. Gentleman's colleagues in
Northern Ireland, and I have no doubt that that will be one thing
that we will wish to talk about.
Mr Speaker: I call the SNP spokesperson.
(Glasgow North West) (SNP):
It is right that young people can recognise and denounce
antisemitism and it is also right that they know something of the
history of the region, including the continued expansion of
illegal settlements. But I hope the Minister agrees that
right-wing rhetoric and Islamophobia also pose a threat to our
young people. What steps are being taken to ensure that both
antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate are treated with equal
severity, especially given some of the Islamophobic remarks that
have been made by Members and former Members of his own
party?
: The hon. Lady is right to
call out the wickedness of Islamophobia. There have been
Islamophobic incidents in schools as well, and Tell MAMA is an
important resource in that regard. We will not tolerate
anti-Muslim hatred in any form and we will seek to stamp it out
whenever and wheresoever it occurs.
Statement: UK Armed
Forces in Middle East
(Wentworth and Dearne)
(Lab)
(Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if
he will make a statement on the role of the UK armed forces in
the middle east.
The Minister for Armed Forces ()
The Prime Minister and Government Ministers have regularly
provided updates in Parliament on the recent role of the armed
forces in the middle east through written and oral statements, in
addition to responding to written questions. As has been said
previously, publicising operational activity to Parliament in
advance could undermine the effectiveness of operations and risk
the lives of armed forces personnel involved.
The UK has provided assistance to our allies and partners in the
region. The Ministry of Defence has provided support to
facilitate the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's
response to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, and
we continue to work with the FCDO. Our armed forces personnel
have played a critical role in working to establish more routes
for vital humanitarian aid to reach the people of Gaza and in the
delivery of support, in co-ordination with the US and our
international allies and partners. To date, the UK has conducted
nine airdrops as part of the Jordanian-led mission, dropping more
than 85 tonnes of vital humanitarian aid of prepackaged halal
meals, water, flour, baby milk formula and rice to Gaza.
UK military planners have been embedded with the US operational
team to jointly develop the safest and most effective maritime
humanitarian aid route. RFA Cardigan Bay is sailing from Cyprus
to support the US pier initiative to enable the delivery of
significantly more lifesaving aid into Gaza. The UK Hydrographic
Office has also shared analysis of the Gazan shore with US
planners to support the initiative. The RAF also sent additional
aircraft to the region to protect our allies and support
de-escalation, culminating in the UK armed forces shooting down a
number of Iranian attack drones. The House will understand that
for operational security reasons, I cannot comment on the
specifics of that activity.
As stated by the Prime Minister on 15 April,
“Our aim is to support stability and security because that is
right for the region, and because although the middle east is
thousands of miles away, it has a direct effect on our security
and prosperity at home, so we are working urgently with our
allies to de-escalate the situation and prevent further
bloodshed.”[—[Official Report, 15 April 2024; Vol. 748, c.
23.]
We are directing all our diplomatic efforts to that end. I will
not comment on media leaks and speculation, but I can assure the
House that the Government are taking all measures to support our
allies and partners in the region. We are pressing for a
sustainable ceasefire that will enable the release of hostages
and provide the people of Gaza with the essential assistance and
humanitarian aid that they need.
I welcome the Minister back to the Department in his new post. Of
course, the Defence Secretary should be here; he has made only
one oral statement on the middle east in more than two
months.
As the Minister said, our UK armed forces are reinforcing
regional stability, protecting international shipping, defending
partner countries and delivering desperately needed aid to Gaza.
We are proud of their professionalism, and across the House we
pay tribute to their work, but the agonies of the Palestinians in
Gaza are extreme. Children are starving, families are dying, and
famine and disease are taking hold. Humanitarian help must flood
into Palestinian hands, so we welcomed the ninth RAF airdrop last
week, but why has there been only one sea shipment of UK aid in
more than six months, and none this year? What are the Government
doing to open up Ashdod port?
We welcome the new role for RFA Cardigan Bay in helping to build
the temporary pier. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is demonstrating
that it provides vital naval support. Is it protected from new
civil service cuts? Have Ministers resolved the issue of the
potential strike action? What is the Defence Secretary doing to
raise rock-bottom morale in the RFA? Weekend reports suggest that
UK troops could be deployed to deliver aid on the ground in Gaza.
Will the Minister confirm those plans? How will the Defence
Secretary report to the House, and ensure that Parliament has a
say, on any such deployment?
The Defence Secretary seems to be doing the bare minimum on the
diplomatic front. Why has he made only one visit to Israel and the Occupied
Palestinian Territories since 7 October? We need an immediate
ceasefire now, hostages released now, and unimpeded aid now. We
need a political route to securing a long-term two-state
settlement. Where the Government pursue these aims, they will
have Labour's fullest support.
I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for his questions and
his warm welcome. He asked a series of pertinent questions, which
I will seek to cover off. He asked about our efforts on maritime
delivery. Clearly, the deployment of RFA Cardigan Bay is leaning
into the prospect of a far greater flow of maritime aid through
the Cyprus humanitarian corridor, which will seek to
substantially uplift that delivered so far. That will have an
important impact on the extent to which Ashdod can come into
play. We make the point regularly to our Israeli colleagues that
opening Ashdod would be a critical enabler of a dramatically
increased flow of aid, which is seriously needed.
The right hon. Gentleman asked about the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Cardigan Bay. Colleagues will have noticed in last week's
statement to the House that there has been a very substantial
uplift in defence funding. An additional £75 billion over the
next six years means that morale across all three services and
the Royal Fleet Auxiliary will be resilient, and higher than
before. That uplift is a vote of confidence in our capabilities,
of which we should all be proud—I certainly am.
I will not comment on speculation that there might be a ground
role for UK forces. It would not be right for me to comment on
speculation. We are very clear about the current remit. RFA
Cardigan Bay is there to provide living support for the US troops
involved in the construction and operational delivery of the
JLOTS—joint logistics over the shore—platform.
The Defence Secretary will, as is his wont, continue to report
frequently to this House, and to make oral and written
statements. I am very pleased to hear that the right hon.
Gentleman would like to see the Defence Secretary at the Dispatch
Box more often. I will relay that desire to him when I see him.
He is a busy man, but he knows that his first duty is to be in
this House. His visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territories was
important; his is a global role. To categorise his one visit as
disproportionate, or a lack of interest, is uncharitable to say
the least.
In all earnestness, we share the right hon. Gentleman's view that
a far greater flow of aid and humanitarian support is contingent
on a sustainable ceasefire. This House will know that we call on
Hamas to lay down their arms and release the hostages; that is
the surest route to finding that sustainable ceasefire.
Mr Speaker
I call the Chair of the Defence Committee.
Sir (Horsham) (Con)
I commend the Government's determination to get aid into Gaza,
and I commend the work of the RAF, RFA Cardigan Bay, UK planners
and the Hydrographic Office. As the Minister is aware, I would
not expect him to comment on speculation, but some of the best
laid and best intentioned plans can run into problems. Can he
assure the House that we would only ever contemplate putting UK
boots on the pier if appropriate force protection was in
place?
I am grateful to the Chair of the Select Committee, who speaks
with characteristic expertise. He is absolutely right that it
would be improper for me, as a Government Minister, to comment on
that speculation.
Mr Speaker
I call the SNP spokesperson.
(Angus) (SNP)
Can the Minister confirm that the US maritime humanitarian aid
corridor is required only because the Israeli Government will not
allow the port of Ashdod to be used to receive the appropriate
amount of aid for northern Gaza? Are the UK Government content
with that stranglehold over the people of Gaza? The working
assumption is that a nation will be driving trucks of aid across
this American facility, but will that nation be the UK? If it is,
what is the risk assessment if UK troops potentially step up for
an operation that goes where American troops fear to tread?
Getting aid into Gaza to alleviate the unspeakable torment of the
Palestinians must be a good thing, and the professionalism and
capability of UK troops is beyond question, but are Ministers
seriously suggesting that the best that Euro-Atlantic allies can
muster is British troops? Have Ministers forgotten how British
forces operated in Palestine in the Arab rebellion of 1936? The
Palestinians have not. Any risk calculation must command more
robust analysis, rigour and humanitarian ambition, not simply UK
Ministers' ambitions for positive headlines.
Well, Mr Speaker, that was a mixed bag of questions. I will
answer in the spirit of sincere debate. We should say that we are
leaning into the Cypriot and Jordanian humanitarian efforts. That
is very important, because those efforts need to be grounded in
the region. Solutions to the problems of the region lie in the
region, but clearly we have a key enabling role, along with the
US. The hon. Gentleman invites me to comment on speculation in
the media, which I will not do. Nor will I dwell on his reference
to the history lesson from 1936. We should be upbeat and proud of
the way we have significantly leaned into the delivery of
humanitarian aid. That is a key component of stabilisation, and
of any prospect of peace in Gaza.
Mr Speaker
I call the Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee.
Sir (New Forest East) (Con)
One of the main strategic aims of Iran, Russia's ally, in
supporting what Hamas did in October last year was to suck
western powers into the middle eastern theatre, thereby diverting
them from Russia's existential conflict with Ukraine. May I urge
the Minister not to comment on the suggestion that we might have
British boots on the ground in the Gaza strip, but to take the
message back to the Secretary of State that this would be a
completely insane idea? It would be far better to have moderate
neighbouring Arab states deal with any distribution of aid that
we have facilitated as a result of the viable RAF and sea power
that we have rightly exercised.
My right hon. Friend is right: the answers to the humanitarian
and political challenges in the region lie within the region. I
entirely agree with his analysis. He made a relevant and good
point about the requirement for us to maintain focus on our
efforts to support our Ukrainian friends in defending their
sovereignty. That is why last week we announced an additional
uplift in our annual support for Ukraine to the tune of £500
million, bringing this year's support to £3 billion—a record
amount.
(Halton) (Lab)
From our work on the Defence Committee, I know that the armed
forces are running hot. Obviously, the events in the middle east
over the last six months or so have put much greater strain and
pressure on our armed forces. What is the Minister doing to
ensure that our armed forces get proper rest and recuperation,
and that we improve the resilience of our assets?
We are increasing funding for defence to record levels, which
increases the armed forces' capacity to train, rest, and attend
to all the areas of their lives other than operations. That is a
huge vote of confidence in the esprit de corps of our armed
forces. We are taking defence investment to 2.5% of GDP by 2030.
It is a tremendous boost, which will filter down and improve
retention and effectiveness right across the board.
(Fareham) (Con)
I was in Israel earlier this
year and met senior Israel Defence Forces
personnel, who assured me that they are doing everything in their
power, and are working with allies, to increase aid to Gaza. It
is the right thing to do, and we must continue those efforts, but
it is patent that Hamas are obstructing the distribution of aid
within Gaza—another reason why we need to support Israel in defeating
Hamas. Will the Minister assure the House that if and
when Israel goes into Rafah,
where several Hamas battalions remain, and where senior Hamas
operatives and the hostages are based, UK support will remain
resolute and steadfast, as we support Israel in
finishing the job and eliminating Hamas?
We are clear-eyed in our assessment of Hamas: we regard them as a
terrorist organisation that has prosecuted an atrocity. We call
on them to lay down their arms and to release the hostages. That
is the precondition for any kind of meaningful and sustainable
ceasefire.
(Tiverton and Honiton)
(LD)
The Government have so far resisted having a proper debate and a
vote on British military engagement in the middle east this year.
The engagement of the British Army in Bosnia in the 1990s started
out as being for the purposes of humanitarian aid, but was
subject to mission creep as British soldiers were attacked by the
warring parties. In 2006, said:
“We would be perfectly happy to leave in three years' time
without firing one shot”.
Will the Minister assure us that if the Government proposed using
British troops on the ground in Gaza, they would first grant this
House a debate and a vote on the matter?
The lessons of Bosnia are interesting, and are not lost on
Government Members. The hon. Gentleman should have no doubt that
Ministers and the Government will remain fully accountable to
this House.
(Beckenham) (Ind)
May I declare an interest? Members of my close family have been,
and are, involved in military operations in the middle east.
Bearing in mind my experience in Northern Ireland—seven tours—I
am slightly worried that if our armed forces open fire in the
middle east, which they have done, a foreign country will, at
some future date, put them before an international court and
charge them. I hope the Minister will declare that such a thing
will never happen.
I am grateful to the right hon. and gallant Gentleman for his
questions; he speaks from a position of knowledge. He should be
assured, as should the House, that our forces in the region
operate with the full force of the law behind them on the basis
of collective self-defence.
(Coventry South) (Lab)
Israeli media are reporting that the International Criminal Court
could be about to issue an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu
and other top Israeli officials for the litany of war crimes
committed by Israel in Gaza. It is
further reported that the United States Government are working to
prevent justice from being done and to stop the ICC issuing
arrest warrants. Does the Minister agree, after more than 34,000
Palestinians—women, men and children —have been slaughtered in
Gaza and Israeli bombings have obliterated and decimated entire
Palestinian neighbourhoods, that Benjamin Netanyahu should be
held to account for his horrific crimes?
rose—
Mr Speaker
Order. We have to be careful: the question is quite framed. I am
sure the Minister might want to pick part of that to answer.
Yes; I regard that as out of scope.
Mr Speaker
No, I think I do that—anyway, I call .
(Newark) (Con)
Hamas are a terrorist organisation that hate the United Kingdom
and everything that we stand for. It would therefore be deeply
unwise for the UK to commit British servicemen and women, whether
on the ground or on the pier in Gaza. It is for precisely that
reason that the White House has categorically ruled this out.
Will the Minister take the opportunity to do the same, so that we
can reassure our constituents that we do not make an inadvertent
mistake, and that British troops will continue doing what they
should be doing, which is facilitating the complete eradication
of Hamas?
I agree entirely with my right hon. Friend's analysis and his
comments about Hamas. Other than that, of course I will not
comment on speculation in the media.
(York Central)
(Lab/Co-op)
What discussions has the Minister had regarding UN security
forces accompanying trucks to enable them to move into Gaza in
the light of the impediments they are facing, and also rebuilding
infrastructure so that trucks can travel across the country to
deliver crucial medical and other humanitarian aid?
A great deal of energy from Ministers and officials is going into
the ongoing discussion about how to operationalise the greater
flow rate of humanitarian aid going into Gaza, so the hon. Lady
asks a relevant question.
(Bracknell) (Con)
The Minister is rightly reluctant to discuss the roles,
dispositions and locations of British forces in the middle east,
but could he again confirm to the House that the requisite force
protection will be factored into all operational level planning,
and also that it is not beyond the realms of possibility that the
UN could be coerced into taking a more active role in Gaza?
My hon. Friend also asks a relevant question, and I can give him
that assurance in relation to the deployment of RFA Cardigan
Bay.
(Islington North) (Ind)
Some 34,000 people are already dead in Gaza, many are dying now
in Rafah from wholly preventable conditions such as measles
because of a lack of sanitation and medical care, and the Israeli
bombardment is still going on. That is the biggest problem for
getting aid in. What pressure is the Minister putting on the
Israeli Government to cease the bombardment of Gaza, to ensure
the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and to ensure that we
will not be deploying British troops anywhere on the on the
ground in Gaza, the west bank or any other part of the region and
that instead we will search for peace and for justice for the
people of Palestine?
The right hon. Gentleman asks about the protection of civilians.
We continue to make the point to our Israeli friends that they
must seek to protect civilian lives, but of course the root cause
of this is the atrocity committed by Hamas. For peace to be
secured, all that would have to happen is for Hamas to lay down
their arms and release the hostages.
(Preseli Pembrokeshire)
(Con)
Iran continues to present one of the most pressing and dangerous
threats to the middle east and to global stability. With the
increasing emphasis on the need for an integrated defence
strategy comprising different nations of the region, does my hon.
Friend agree that there is an ongoing, vital role for British
forces to play, as they did so ably on the night of 13 and 14
April?
I wholeheartedly agree, and we should pay tribute to those who
courageously played an active role in that defence of our
collective security. Undoubtedly, British armed forces have a
sustained and hugely important role to play in bringing peace and
stability right across the region.
(Nottingham East) (Lab)
The UN reports that 80% of all those in the world facing imminent
famine are located in Gaza. With over 200 humanitarian workers
killed by Israeli forces since October, a ceasefire is essential
for the effective delivery of aid and for preventing famine in
both the short term and the long term. How can the Government
justify their continued refusal to back calls for an immediate
and permanent ceasefire?
The hon. Lady is correct that a ceasefire is needed, as it is the
way to assure the flow of aid that Gazans need. The precondition
of that ceasefire is for Hamas to lay down their arms and to
release the hostages.
(Brigg and Goole) (Con)
I was in Israel on the night of
the Iran attacks, and I saw the jets in the sky, David's Sling
and Iron Dome dealing with the ballistic missiles as they came
in. I felt very proud to know that our forces were involved, and
the Israelis were very grateful for our activity.
One group of people in Gaza who are not being provided with aid
or proper medical checks are, of course, the hostages. Last
Monday, I spoke to the parent of 23-year-old Hersh
Goldberg-Polin, who was last seen on 7 October being bundled into
the back of a truck with his arm and hand missing, having had a
grenade thrown into his shelter. A video was released on
Wednesday, and it was the first sight of him. He looked in a very
distressed state. Can the Minister assure me that we will
continue to do everything we can, militarily and through
intelligence, to help Israel to locate these
hostages?
I can, of course, give my hon. Friend that assurance. It is a
highly sensitive subject, and if he would care to raise the case
with me individually, we will do what we can to follow up.
(Warwick and Leamington)
(Lab)
Two months ago, the House passed Labour's motion calling for an
immediate ceasefire. We believe that Hamas must immediately
release their hostages, but Israel must also
look at releasing its prisoners. There has to be an immediate and
unimpeded supply of aid into Gaza, but I am really concerned
about UK forces getting involved. We should rely absolutely on
aid being delivered by the charities and voluntary organisations
on the ground. What is the Defence Secretary doing with our
allies and regional partners to secure an immediate
ceasefire?
We continue to make the point that Hamas must lay down their arms
and release the hostages. That is the precondition for peace.
(Harlow) (Con)
The key problem, as my hon. Friend will know, is that Hamas and
Islamic Jihad are appropriating aid meant for the Palestinians.
What steps are our armed forces taking to ensure that aid gets to
those who really need it, not the terrorist networks? What steps
are they taking against Hamas's terrorist tunnels under the
Egyptian border? British armed forces could play a significant
role in working with Israel to dismantle the
tunnel networks.
My right hon. Friend asks a very good question, and a huge amount
of effort is going into this. We are energetically leaning into
the prospect of a greater degree of aid flowing through the
Cypriot and Jordanian humanitarian corridors, and the JLOTS
temporary pier capability could be an absolute game changer.
(North West Leicestershire)
(Ind)
The Government continue to provide huge sums of taxpayers' money
for arms and weapons for Ukraine, but minimal funding for
humanitarian aid for Gaza. Does the Minister believe that the UK
public share the Government's spending priorities?
I believe they do, yes.
(Bolton North East) (Con)
Despite some positive noises coming out of the middle east about
a truce, for my constituents in Bolton it is deeply worrying to
see reports of an increasingly likely ground offensive in the
southern city of Rafah. The Minister spoke about not wanting to
see any more bloodshed, but if there is a ground offensive, more
blood will be shed. What are our Government, the Ministry of
Defence in particular, doing to avoid bloodshed happening in
Rafah and to prepare for different scenarios?
We always make the point to our Israeli colleagues that the
protection of civilian life is imperative. We acknowledge
that Israel has an absolute
right to self-defence, and we hope that Hamas will recognise that
the path to peace lies in laying down their arms and releasing
the hostages.
(Carmarthen East and
Dinefwr) (Ind)
My understanding is that the British Government do not support
the ground offensive by the Israeli military in Rafah. Will they
therefore use all the leverage at their disposal, including
withdrawing arms export licences, if the Israeli Government act
against British policy?
We have one of the world's toughest arms export regimes, of which
we should be very proud.
(North West Norfolk) (Con)
On the middle east, it is a decade since this House voted to
support the UK's joining the global coalition against Daesh.
Although territory has been liberated, does not the recent strike
by the RAF against a rocket launcher being used to target
coalition forces underline the need for a sustained, long-term
commitment to defeat and destroy terrorism?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right about that, and we should be
grateful for the role played by the RAF. It is a reminder that
the price of peace is eternal vigilance.
(Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the Minister for his responses. I very much welcome the
Prime Minister's announcement last week about the extra defence
spending. It is important that we support innocent victims who
cannot protect themselves. The UK's role in the middle east is
much appreciated, acclaimed and respected. Does the Minister
agree that in response to recent increased Iranian threats, for
instance with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps being
responsible for Hamas terrorist attacks across Gaza and the
broader middle east, we must do whatever we can within our budget
to encourage de-escalation and to try to prevent further attacks
by Iran and its supporters?
I agree with the hon. Gentleman; he rightly says that putting in
2.5% of GDP by 2030 will provide that boost and ensure that we
have the operational capability to achieve that global response
that we need to keep our country safe.
Mrs (Meon Valley) (Con)
We talk about 500 trucks a day because that was the pre-war
number, but that was when Gaza had a relatively functioning
economy and an agricultural sector to back it up. Therefore, more
than 400 trucks will be needed, by land and sea, and so I thank
the armed forces for their help in delivering aid and in helping
to build the pier. What pressure are we putting on Israel to get more aid
quickly delivered by land, which is the best and quickest way of
doing it, and on the use of UNRWA in northern Gaza, as it has the
most effective system to get aid to the right places quickly?
My hon. Friend is correct: we do need to increase that flow. What
would be a game changer is opening the port of Ashdod, and we
continue to make that point forcefully to our colleagues.
Sir (Northampton North) (Con)
Does my hon. Friend agree that His Majesty's armed forces could
be providing any humanitarian support, now or in the future, only
with Israel's total co-operation and that it should be recognised
for that? Has he noted also that Israel's Iron Dome and Arrow 3
defensive systems, among other things, would, in effect, be part
of the protection of His Majesty's and other allied forces? Does
he agree that that makes even more nonsense of the anti-Israel
interests' call for an arms embargo against Israel because if
allied forces, including His Majesty's forces, were to be acting
in the region, they would be looking for support
from Israel itself?
My right hon. and learned Friend makes a very good point.
Point of Order
(Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab): On a point of
order, Mr Deputy Speaker. During the urgent question on the
humanitarian situation in Gaza on 17 April, the Under-Secretary
of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, the
hon. Member for Macclesfield (), speaking on behalf of the
Foreign Secretary, said that the Government wanted an
“independent review” of the terrible killing of British aid
workers by the Israel Defence Forces.
That followed the Foreign Secretary himself posting on X that “a
wholly independent review” was required.
However, in response to my written question, the Deputy Foreign
Secretary said that the Prime Minister had called for a
“transparent investigation” into that terrible attack. A
transparent investigation is not the same as an independent
investigation. Given that the whole point of my question in the
Chamber was to highlight that investigations conducted by the IDF
into its actions are not independent, this answer troubled me.
Given also that the Foreign Secretary refuses to come to this
Chamber to be held accountable, can you advise me, Mr Deputy
Speaker, how I can clarify whether the Minister did not
accidentally mislead the House in saying that the Government
wanted an independent investigation when they are only calling
for a transparent investigation? All those who seek
accountability for the actions of the IDF want to know what the
Government's position is.
Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr ): I thank the hon. Lady for
giving notice of her point of order. Clearly the Chair is not
responsible for the answers of Ministers, but those on the
Treasury Bench will have heard the point of order and will make
sure that the Minister is able to respond to her.
