Strait of Hormuz
Debate between Baroness Chapman of Darlington and Earl of Kinnoull
Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
My noble friend is right about UN Article 51. That has been used for our activities in the region, not just most recently, but against the Houthis, the Iranian proxies in Yemen. To be clear, the use of our bases in Fairford and Diego Garcia that he refers to are about defensive action. We have been very clear about that and that is consistent with our use of Article 51.
The Earl of Kinnoull (CB)
My Lords, one of the precursors to the reopening of the commercial shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz would be the availability of reasonably priced insurance—and lots of it. The main marine insurance markets for the world are based in London. What discussions are the Government having with those markets to understand what has to be done so that those markets can reopen and allow the insurance side of shipping to take place? I declare my interest in the insurance world.
Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
I thank the noble Earl. He is right and we are having active conversations with Lloyd’s of London to make sure that shipping is insurable as the strait reopens. At the moment, though, you could have all the insurance you want—if it is not safe, it is not safe. We need to make sure that that is established, but it is important. Even if the strait reopens, if you cannot insure what you are doing, that makes life pretty impossible, so we have to make sure that we have a solution on insurance.
Greenland: Proposed US Tariffs
Debate between Baroness Chapman of Darlington and Earl of Kinnoull
Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
I agree that this needs to have the Greenlanders at the heart of it. I am pleased that many Ministers have met their counterparts in Greenland, not just in response to recent events but as part of a long-standing arrangement. The right reverend Prelate makes a strong point that diplomacy should never happen somewhere else. What recent events have proved is that geopolitics is not something that happens out there, away from here. It has a direct impact on people’s jobs and livelihoods, our manufacturing industry and almost every element of life in the United Kingdom. That is why this is being taken quite so seriously by the Government.
The Earl of Kinnoull (CB)
My Lords, much of what has been said so far is of the respectful and firm way in which the intergovernmental dimension of the relationship is reacting to this news. Tomorrow, of course, we have the opportunity for someone from the interparliamentary dimension to react, with the visit of Mr Mike Johnson, who is speaker of the US House of Representatives. Does the Minister feel it is helpful if we, as parliamentarians, reflect the same respectful and firm tone on this issue in an interparliamentary dimension as well?
Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
I would not dream of advising noble Lords or my good friends at the other end of the building on what they should and should not say to a visiting speaker from the United States. The noble Earl makes a good point about having clarity in the position—which I think is widely, if not unanimously, held, at least within this Chamber—as regards Greenland.