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Tuesday Volume 608 12 April 2016 No. 141 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday 12 April 2016 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2016 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 161 12 APRIL 2016 162 enhances our ability to co-operate with other European House of Commons countries to combat crime and terrorism and keep the British people safe. Tuesday 12 April 2016 Mr Ben Bradshaw (Exeter) (Lab): What contingency planning is under way with our European and NATO The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock allies for a new provocation from President Putin after our referendum? Putin is of course hoping and praying that Britain votes to leave the European Union and, as PRAYERS the Minister will know, there is a widespread view in security and foreign policy circles that Putin is planning [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] just such a fresh provocation after the referendum, whatever the result. Mr Lidington: Given the recent history of the Kremlin’s Oral Answers to Questions activities, not only in Ukraine and Georgia but the pressure brought to bear on the Baltic states and the use of the energy weapon against central European countries, we are right to be on our guard. This will be a matter of FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE prime concern at the forthcoming Warsaw NATO summit, and it is important that NATO is prepared for hybrid The Secretary of State was asked— aggression from the Kremlin that might involve information, the use of energy and the use of soft power, as much as EU Referendum conventional hard power. 1. David Warburton (Somerton and Frome) (Con): Crispin Blunt (Reigate) (Con): Our EU partners will What assessment he has made of the effect of the EU see the EU referendum as a question of our solidarity referendum on the UK’s diplomatic relations (a) within with them. What lesson will our Italian partners draw the EU and (b) globally. [904400] from our lack of absolute solidarity with the Italians over the case of Giulio Regeni? The Minister for Europe (Mr David Lidington): Other Governments respect the fact that this is a decision for Mr Lidington: My hon. Friend will want to know that the British people. Our EU partners agree that many of the Minister for the Middle East recently saw the Egyptian the reforms that we have secured in the renegotiation ambassador about this case and emphasised that the will benefit Europe as a whole, and more and more of British Government want to see a full and thorough our friends and allies around the world are telling us investigation. Given Mr Regeni’s nationality, the Italian that they value this country’s membership of the European Government and authorities are in the lead, but we Union. remain in very close contact with them and are giving every possible assistance to try to secure an outcome Mr Speaker: Order. It would be a courtesy to the that will give some answers to Mr Regeni’s family. House to tell Members what I think Front Benchers know—namely, that the Foreign Secretary is away on Alex Salmond (Gordon) (SNP): When the Prime ministerial business. Minister described European discussions as “abrasive” Mr Lidington: I apologise for not doing so at the and “difficult”, he was not talking about other European start. My right hon. Friend is in the far east on the final countries; he was not talking about debate across the leg of a tour covering several countries. Floor of the House; he was not even talking about debate within the Conservative party. Rather, he was Mr Speaker: We are grateful, and we look forward to talking about discussions within his own Cabinet. What the right hon. Gentleman’s imminent return. does that fractious disunity do to the credibility of this Government’s foreign policy in Europe and beyond? David Warburton: Does my right hon. Friend agree that whatever the outcome of the referendum in June, Mr Lidington: Our counterparts around Europe are the threats we face mean that our bilateral intelligence- robust democracies and they recognise that this country’s sharing relationships with other European countries membership of the European Union has divided politicians will remain vital, and that, working with those outside of all parties for very many years, and that it is possible the EU, European relationships will continue unimpaired for people on the right and the left to come to opposite to ensure we remain as safe as we can be from external points of view. What the Prime Minister has secured—a threats? firm Government position to support our continued membership of the European Union but with licence Mr Lidington: I agree with my hon. Friend that it is given to Ministers to express their dissent in a private important to maintain strong bilateral relationships in capacity—is a fair outcome. intelligence sharing between the relevant agencies here, in Europe and around the world, while strengthening Alex Salmond: Does the Minister not feel that the the intelligence sharing and sharing of information robust democracies in Europe and beyond—not to mention between our police forces. The recent renegotiation the people of this country—are crying out for a debate confirmed that responsibility for national security rests on our future in Europe that rises above the internal solely with national Governments, but EU membership divisions in the Conservative party? 163 Oral Answers12 APRIL 2016 Oral Answers 164 Mr Lidington: That is precisely what the Government 139 months’ worth of screening and debriefing expertise are leading at the moment. I think that at the end of this to Frontex to help it to beef up the capacity of the week, when the Electoral Commission designates the Greeks to manage the very large number of asylum two campaign organisations for remain and leave, we claims that they will need to process. will indeed see that debate continue, and I hope that the right hon. Gentleman and his party will wish to play a Tom Brake (Carshalton and Wallington) (LD): I constructive part in it. understand that the British Government have also contributed eight judges, but I also understand that the Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury and Atcham) (Con): shortfall in expertise amounts to 2,500 staff. What more There has just been a referendum in the Netherlands, can the Government do to support the Greeks? where the people overwhelmingly rejected the extension of privileges to Ukraine and its membership of the Mr Lidington: We continue to consider whether there European Union. How will our Government recalibrate are ways in which we can help further. We are not our policy on that? members of the Schengen group, so under the group’s rules we are barred from providing some forms of Mr Lidington: The Dutch vote was a consultative assistance. However, the Prime Minister talked to Prime referendum on a Dutch parliamentary decision to ratify Minister Tsipras very recently about what more we the European Union-Ukraine association agreement. It could do, and we continue to discuss with Greece and is a matter entirely for the Dutch Government and the our other European partners how best we can help to Dutch Parliament. The United Kingdom remains a manage the pressures on Greece. It is in all our interests strong supporter of the efforts being made by Ukraine that European countries come together to manage the to defend its national sovereignty and integrity in the crisis in the Aegean and ensure that migrants are treated face of Russian aggression, and to implement much-needed, humanely but also fairly, and that if they do not have far-reaching political and economic reforms that will well-founded asylum claims, they can be returned. benefit everyone in Ukraine. Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con): If a migrant Wayne David (Caerphilly) (Lab): Does the Minister claims asylum in Greece and then makes his or her way agree that the only thing that Nigel Farage, George to the United Kingdom, we are unable to send that Galloway and Vladimir Putin have in common is that individual back to Greece because the Greek asylum they want Britain to leave the European Union? Does system is deemed unfit for purpose. What steps is the that not say a lot about the consequences of our possible Minister taking with his EU counterparts to ensure that departure from the EU? Greece brings its asylum and detention systems up to the requisite standard? Mr Lidington: There are indeed some strange bedfellows in that particular camp, and none of those three gentlemen Mr Lidington: Anyone in the circumstances that my is one from whom I would want to take advice about hon. Friend describes who was not a Greek national where the best interests of the British people lie. would need a visa to enter the United Kingdom from the countries to which asylum seekers are going from Migration (Western Balkans) Greece. The whole purpose of the EU-Turkey agreement and of the assistance we are giving to Greece is to 2. Karen Lumley (Redditch) (Con): What assessment manage the situation in the region so that we do not he has made of the effectiveness of recent steps to face the pressures he describes. reduce migration to Europe through the western Balkans. [904401] Helen Jones (Warrington North) (Lab): Thousands of Yazidi women who have been kidnapped, tortured The Minister for Europe (Mr David Lidington): The and raped by ISIS cannot come through the Balkans Government believe that the EU-Turkey agreement will and are unable to access the medical and psychological make a genuine difference to the migration flows into support they need in the region.