Wednesday Volume 699 18 August 2021 No. 40 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 18 August 2021 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2021 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 1251 18 AUGUST 2021 1252 House of Commons Business of the House (Today) Wednesday 18 August 2021 9.37 am Mr Speaker: I wish to inform the House that I have The House met at half-past Nine o’clock selected a manuscript amendment to the motion in the name of the right hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden (Mr Davis) and the hon. Member for PRAYERS Wellingborough (Mr Bone), which is as follows: at line 3, delete “2.30 pm” and insert “5 pm”. I call the [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] Leader of the House to move the motion. Speaker’s statement The Leader of the House of Commons (Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg): I beg to move, Mr Speaker: Before we start today’s business, I want That, at this day’s sitting, the Speaker shall put the Question to welcome Members back, albeit in sombre circumstances. necessary to dispose of proceedings on the Motion in the name of On behalf of the whole House, I want to record our the Prime Minister relating to the situation in Afghanistan not shock and sadness at the tragic incident in Keyham last later than 2.30 pm. Thursday. I know all Members will want to join me in sending our condolences and sympathies to all those I am delighted to move the motion and to inform the who have been affected by that terrible incident. House that Her Majesty’s Government are willing to accept the manuscript amendment in the name of the I know that the House will also want to remember, on right hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden this day when we are here to discuss the situation in (Mr Davis) and the hon. Member for Wellingborough Afghanistan, all the service personnel of this country (Mr Bone). who have lost their lives or have been injured during this conflict. I know that there is no constituency that has not been touched, none more so than Chorley, which Mr Speaker: Then we are completely in line with a saw two serving personnel tragically lose their lives. We Thursday sitting; I thank the Leader of the House for all have reason to be here. that. I wish to remind the House that the provisions which Amendment made: (a), at line 3, delete “2.30 pm” and allowed for hybrid participation in the Chamber are no insert “5 pm”.—(Mr. Davis.) longer in place. All contributions to proceedings will Main Question, as amended, put and agreed to. once again be made from within this Chamber. I remind Members that if they participate in a debate, they Ordered, should be present throughout most if not all of that That, at this day’s sitting, the Speaker shall put the Question debate, and certainly at least for the opening speeches, necessary to dispose of proceedings on the Motion in the name of the two speeches following their contributions and the the Prime Minister relating to the situation in Afghanistan not winding-up speeches. later than 5 pm. If the House divides today, Members should enter both Lobbies from the Members’ Lobby end of the Chamber. Doorkeepers will be on hand to assist Members participating in the Division. I will instruct that the doors be locked 10 minutes after the start of the Division. I would also like to say thank you to all the staff of the House who have made today possible for giving up their time, breaking their holidays, to ensure that this important debate goes ahead. Business without Debate SITTINGS OF THE HOUSE Motion made, and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 25), That this House, at its rising this day, do adjourn until Monday 6 September 2021.—(Mr Rees-Mogg.) Question agreed to. 1253 18 AUGUST 2021 Afghanistan 1254 Afghanistan Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East) (Con): Does the Prime Minister agree that we are ceding back the country to the very insurgency that we went in to defeat 9.38 am in the first place, and that the reputation of the west for The Prime Minister (Boris Johnson): I beg to move, support for democracies around the world has suffered? There are so many lessons to be learned from what That this House has considered the situation in Afghanistan. happened over the last 20 years. Will he now agree to a May I begin by thanking you, Mr Speaker, and all the formal independent inquiry into conduct in Afghanistan? parliamentary staff for enabling us to meet this morning? Before I turn to today’s debate, I am sure the House will want to join you, Mr Speaker, and me in sending our The Prime Minister: As I said in the House just a few condolences to the family and friends of those killed in weeks ago, there was an extensive defence review about the appalling shooting in Plymouth last week. Investigations the Afghan mission after the combat mission ended in are of course continuing, but we will learn every possible 2014, and I believe that most of the key questions have lesson from this tragedy. already been extensively gone into. It is important that we in this House should today be able to scrutinise I know that Members across the House share my events as they unfold. concern about the situation in Afghanistan, the issues it raises for our own security and the fears of many As I was saying, we succeeded in that core mission, remaining in that country, especially women and children. and the training camps in the mountain ranges of The sacrifice in Afghanistan is seared into our national Afghanistan were destroyed. Al-Qaeda plots against consciousness, with 150,000 people serving there from this country were foiled because our serving men and across the length and breadth of the United Kingdom, women were there, and no successful terrorist attacks including a number of Members in all parts of the against the west have been mounted from Afghan soil House, whose voices will be particularly important today. for two decades. So it is absolutely right that we should come together for this debate. Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean) (Con): May I take the Prime Minister back to his remarks in the House on Mr John Baron (Basildon and Billericay) (Con): As 8 July, when he referred to the assessment that he had someone who opposed this nation-building intervention, made? There has clearly been a catastrophic failure of I believe that it now brings its responsibilities. Will the our intelligence, or our assessment of the intelligence, Prime Minister assure me that, in addition to getting because of the speed with which this has caught us our nationals out safely, and in offering a generous unawares. Can he set out for the House how we may welcome to the many refugees, all necessary resources assure ourselves that in future years no terrorist attacks will be given to those Afghans and others who helped put together in Afghanistan take place here in the the British Council in its work, including the promotion United Kingdom? of women’s rights? Many are in fear of their lives—of retribution from the Taliban. The Afghan relocations The Prime Minister: I think it would be fair to say and assistance policy scheme is slow-moving at the that the events in Afghanistan have unfolded faster, and moment. Will he commit the necessary resource, because the collapse has been faster, than I think even the the window of opportunity is narrow and no one must Taliban themselves predicted. What is not true is to say be left behind. that the UK Government were unprepared or did not foresee this, because it was certainly part of our planning. Mr Speaker: We have got the point. May I remind The very difficult logistical operation for the withdrawal Members that if you are going to intervene, you have of UK nationals has been under preparation for many got to be short. If you intervene more than twice, you months, and I can tell the House that the decision to will understand why you have gone down the list—if commission the emergency handling centre at the airport— there was one. [Laughter.] the commissioning of that centre—took place two weeks ago. The Prime Minister: I thank my hon. Friend. I can assure him that, as I will be saying in just a few moments, we will be doing everything we can to support those Several hon. Members rose— who have helped the UK mission in Afghanistan and investing everything that we can to support the wider The Prime Minister: If I can just make a little more area around Afghanistan, and to do everything that we progress, I will certainly give way in a moment. can to avert a humanitarian crisis. Alongside this core mission, we worked for a better It is almost 20 years since the United States suffered future for the people of Afghanistan. The heroism and the most catastrophic attack on its people since the tireless work of our armed forces contributed to national second world war, in which 67 British citizens also lost elections as well as to the promotion and protection of their lives, at the hands of murderous terrorist groups human rights and equalities in a way that many in incubated in Afghanistan.