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House of Lords Official Report Vol. 714 Wednesday No. 134 11 November 2009 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) HOUSE OF LORDS OFFICIAL REPORT ORDER OF BUSINESS Questions Israel Crime: Domestic Violence Terrorism Act 2006 Unemployment Scottish and Northern Ireland Banknote Regulations 2009 Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2009 Motion to Approve Skills for Growth Statement Policing and Crime Bill Third Reading Coroners and Justice Bill Commons Reasons and Amendments Marine and Coastal Access Bill [HL] Commons Amendments Written Statements Written Answers For column numbers see back page £3·50 Lords wishing to be supplied with these Daily Reports should give notice to this effect to the Printed Paper Office. The bound volumes also will be sent to those Peers who similarly notify their wish to receive them. No proofs of Daily Reports are provided. Corrections for the bound volume which Lords wish to suggest to the report of their speeches should be clearly indicated in a copy of the Daily Report, which, with the column numbers concerned shown on the front cover, should be sent to the Editor of Debates, House of Lords, within 14 days of the date of the Daily Report. This issue of the Official Report is also available on the Internet at www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200809/ldhansrd/index/091111.html PRICES AND SUBSCRIPTION RATES DAILY PARTS Single copies: Commons, £5; Lords £3·50 Annual subscriptions: Commons, £865; Lords £525 WEEKLY HANSARD Single copies: Commons, £12; Lords £6 Annual subscriptions: Commons, £440; Lords £255 Index—Single copies: Commons, £6·80—published every three weeks Annual subscriptions: Commons, £125; Lords, £65. LORDS CUMULATIVE INDEX obtainable on standing order only. Details available on request. BOUND VOLUMES OF DEBATES are issued periodically during the session. Single copies: Commons, £105; Lords, £40. Standing orders will be accepted. THE INDEX to each Bound Volume of House of Commons Debates is published separately at £9·00 and can be supplied to standing order. WEEKLY INFORMATION BULLETIN, compiled by the House of Commons, gives details of past and forthcoming business, the work of Committees and general information on legislation, etc. Single copies: £1·50. Annual subscription: £53·50. All prices are inclusive of postage. © Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 2009, this publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through the Office of Public Sector Information website at www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/ 795 Israel[11 NOVEMBER 2009] Israel 796 Lord Lea of Crondall: I wish noble Lords opposite House of Lords would be more civilised and listen for a minute. The boycott demand is all about goods produced in illegal Wednesday, 11 November 2009. settlements. The TUC has begun holding informal talks, both with Histadrut, the Israeli trade union 3pm centre, and with the PGFTU, which is its rough parallel in Palestine. These talks cover, inter alia, the interests Prayers—read by the Lord Bishop of Winchester. of the Palestinian workers in the area of the illegal settlements. Israel Question Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: As the noble Lord is aware, the Prime Minister and the British Government 3.07 pm have been very clear at all times on the issue of illegal Asked By Baroness Deech settlements, which we see as an obstacle to peace. The Government are exploring the possibility of improving To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action the labelling of produce from the West Bank. We are they will take to make the Trades Union Congress also working with the European Union to ensure that aware of their position on boycotts of Israel. goods from settlements do not benefit from the EU The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth trading agreements with Israel. We believe that this is Office (Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead): My Lords, we an issue of individual choice and that all retailers and discuss policy frequently with a wide range of stakeholders, consumers should have the information that they need including the TUC. I chair a regular meeting with to decide what produce they wish to buy. I say to my TUC leaders as part of this dialogue. We agree on a noble friend that we have worked very well with the great many issues, especially the need to achieve a just, TUC on this initiative in the past and hope to continue two-state solution. As part of this dialogue, we have to do so in the future. made very clear the Government’s stance on boycotts. Lord Wright of Richmond: My Lords, does the Baroness Deech: I thank the Minister for her response Minister accept that many, if not all, calls for boycotts and welcome her views. Does she agree that British of Israel reflect genuine and justifiable concern about unions display an unbalanced fixation in calling for the constant erosion of Palestinian rights in the Occupied boycotts of Israel in the light of extensive human Territories, not least the continuing expansion of illegal rights violations and occupations, including security settlements in both the West Bank and Jerusalem in fences, in other countries, such as Sri Lanka, Saudi spite of President Obama’s demands that there should Arabia, Morocco in relation to Western Sahara, Iran be an immediate and total freezing of all settlement and northern Cyprus, which do not elicit such calls? activity? Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: I thank the noble Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: My Lords, settlement Baroness. I reiterate that the United Kingdom believes activity is illegal. It prejudges peace talks and must be that disinvestment, sanctions and boycotts directed at halted immediately. This includes, of course, in east Israel would be counterproductive. Isolation of Israel Jerusalem, to which the noble Lord alluded. Israel is would advance neither Britain’s influence nor, most committed through the road map and the Annapolis important, the prospects of peace in the Middle East. conference to freeze all settlement activity, as the We continue to focus on the wider perspective, which noble Lord suggests, and immediately to dismantle is to continue to strive towards a comprehensive peace settlement outposts erected since March 2001. We process in the Middle East. That includes supporting raise this issue consistently with the Israeli Government. the United States in its efforts now to launch that The Prime Minister stressed it during his meeting with process. Prime Minister Netanyahu in August and several times in further conversations. Lord Clinton-Davis: My Lords— Lord Wallace of Saltaire: My Lords, does the Minister Lord Lea of Crondall: Would my noble friend take accept that the sympathy and support that many of us note of the fact that the TUC, in pursuing the difficult have for the security of the state of Israel rest on our issue of goods produced in what we all know to be— understanding that Israel is a democracy with a deep commitment to the rule of law? If we are asked, as the Noble Lords: Oh! noble Baroness, Lady Deech, suggested, to judge Israel Lord Lea of Crondall: It is not mandatory to give by the standard only of Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka and way to a privy counsellor. The TUC, in pursuing the Morocco, Israel is in severe danger of losing that difficult issue of goods produced in what we all know moral advantage. to be illegal settlements, which is what the boycott Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: I thank the noble demand is all about, has begun holding informal Lord and, of course, accept that many standards will talks— be mentioned and judgments made about Israel and Noble Lords: Reading! other countries with which we deal in this House. Lord Lea of Crondall: It is important that I am Lord Clinton-Davis: At a time when joint training accurate. between Israeli and Palestinian trade unions is being fostered, is it not damaging in the extreme to engage in Noble Lords: Oh! diatribes about boycotts? 797 Israel[LORDS] Crime: Domestic Violence 798 Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: I thank the noble is necessary to reduce the domestic violence problem? Lord. It is the view of the British Government that Can the Government provide additional help for setting trade unions and others are free to talk about boycotts; up and supporting such initiatives? they are very keen to engage with us on this issue. However, we still believe that we should not focus on Lord West of Spithead: My Lords, we take this sanctions and boycotts at this critical time. As noble matter extremely seriously. One of the biggest studies of Lords are well aware, President Obama has reconfirmed violence against women and girls, following the violence his commitment to the peace process. We have hoped against women and girls consultation, was published for many years to have a US President prepared from earlier this year. As a result, we are working with private day one to devote himself and his Administration to groups, local councils and the police in a raft of areas the creation of a Palestinian state living peacefully to make progress with what is a most horrible crime. alongside Israel. Some of the statistics in this area are quite awful. Lord Elystan-Morgan: My Lords, mention has been Lord Soley: My Lords, is my noble friend aware of made of the rule of law. the example of the charity Standing Together Against Domestic Violence? Part of its aim is to help organisations Lord Campbell of Alloway: My Lords— in this area to integrate and co-ordinate their work, The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Baroness and it has been a model for other parts of the country. Royall of Blaisdon): We should hear from the Could we do more to advertise what it does to other Conservatives.
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