UNRWA

Baroness Williams of Trafford Excerpts

Wednesday 15th May 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-Afl)]

My Lords—

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

My Lords, we will hear from the non-affiliated Bench, followed by the noble Baroness, Lady Helic.

[Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-Afl)]

I thank the Government Chief Whip. In February, the Hamas data centre was discovered underneath UNRWA’s headquarters and, just yesterday, UNRWA terrorists were discovered using an UNRWA school as a base from which to launch their attacks, so it is absolutely clear that UNRWA still has very serious questions to answer. In the meantime, there are other agencies with whom we should be working to get much-needed humanitarian aid in for the poor people of Gaza, who have been so terribly affected by the war Hamas deliberately launched on 7 October, when it raped, kidnapped and murdered so many civilians.

Forest Risk Commodity Regulations

Baroness Williams of Trafford Excerpts

Tuesday 12th March 2024 Lords Chamber

[Noble Lords]

Order.

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

My Lords, it is the turn of the Liberal Democrat Benches.

Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

Baroness Williams of Trafford Excerpts

Tuesday 12th March 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Uddin (Non-Afl)]

My Lords—

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

My Lords, can we hear from the Cross Benches and then the Conservative Benches?

[Baroness Uddin (Non-Afl)]

I think also on this side.

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

My Lords, can we hear from the Cross Benches and then the Conservative Benches?

[Baroness Uddin (Non-Afl)]

That is your call.

Children in Gaza

Baroness Williams of Trafford Excerpts

Tuesday 13th February 2024 Lords Chamber

[Noble Lords]

No!

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

My Lords, there is plenty of time. We will hear from the noble Lord, Lord Purvis of Tweed, followed by the noble Lord, Lord Green.

[Lord Purvis of Tweed (LD)]

I am grateful to the Chief Whip. UNICEF has said today that 600,000 displaced children are in Rafah in Gaza. That is comparable to the entire under-12 population of Scotland being displaced to one postcode area. Does the Foreign Secretary agree that for any belligerent in a conflict to advise children and civilians to relocate, on the pretext of their safety, to an area where there is no shelter, water or medicine, and where there are no security guarantees, is a war crime?

Poverty: International Development Aid

Baroness Williams of Trafford Excerpts

Monday 15th January 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean (Lab)]

My Lords—

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

It is the turn of the Cross Benches.

[Lord Londesborough (CB)]

My Lords, the White Paper makes several laudable commitments, some of which require significant upfront investments, such as access to basic services, and that brings us the uncomfortable question of how these projects will be resourced, given not one but two huge hits to our ODA budget: some 25% lost due to the UK abandoning its 0.7% commitment, and almost 30% of what is left being spent on housing refugees in the UK. Can the Minister confirm the net budget for overseas aid once both these factors are taken into account?

Russia: Sanctions

Baroness Williams of Trafford Excerpts

Monday 11th September 2023 Lords Chamber

[Lord Sahota (Lab)]

My Lords—

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

My Lords, we will let my noble friend ask his question and then we will go over to the noble Lord, Lord Sahota.

[Lord Robathan (Con)]

My Lords, on targeted sanctions, the oligarchs who make up the inner circle around Putin, and the huge number of people who have property here, have almost invariably made their money by nefarious means—they must have done, because 30 years ago there was no private capital in Russia. Could my noble friend the Minister give us an update on how many oligarchs are having their property—and whatever else—put into suspension so that we can confiscate and use it to rebuild Ukraine?

Ukraine Recovery Conference

Baroness Williams of Trafford Excerpts

Monday 15th May 2023 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

My Lords, it is the turn of the Liberal Democrat Benches and then we will hear from my noble friend.

[Baroness Northover (LD)]

I thank the noble Baroness. Reconstruction in Ukraine, which counts as ODA, will clearly be vital, but is the Minister aware of current estimates that, in 2022, almost 30% of the UK’s aid budget was used to support Ukrainian refugees? Given the pressures of conflict, climate change, food crises and migration, will our aid budget increase, or will the Government—as the Australians do—count support for Ukraine as outside the aid budget?

Myanmar: Health Workers

Baroness Williams of Trafford Excerpts

Tuesday 7th March 2023 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Cox (CB)]

My Lords—

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

My Lords, it is the turn of the Labour Benches.

[Baroness Nye (Lab)]

My Lords, I declare an interest as a trustee of Burma Campaign UK. The Minister will know that, since the coup in 2021, the military has brutally suppressed its critics and unlawfully attacked civilians on the ground and from the air, including many health workers working in the ethnic areas. While the UK and EU-imposed sanctions on aviation fuel are welcome, will the Minister give assurances that he will keep those sanctions under urgent review as companies change names to avoid sanctions, and look into whether British companies are involved in the provision of third-party services to vessels involved in the shipment of aviation fuel to Myanmar, such as insurance, shipping or financial services? Stopping the military’s relentless bombing campaign on innocent civilians will help those providing humanitarian aid.

Sri Lanka: Truth Commission

Baroness Williams of Trafford Excerpts

Thursday 1st December 2022 Lords Chamber

[Lord Haselhurst (Con)]

My Lords—

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

My Lords, it is the turn of the Liberal Democrats.

[Lord Bruce of Bennachie (LD)]

My Lords, bad governance, conflict and human rights abuses have pushed Sri Lanka to the brink. It is reported that its debt to China is $7.4 billion, or nearly 20% of its public external debt. So will the Government work with Sri Lanka—yes, to help it address its internal reconciliation, but also to reduce its exposure to China and dependence on Russian oil and to ensure that it can engage with the whole world, rather than being pushed to one side?

Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Baroness Williams of Trafford Excerpts

Friday 9th September 2022 Lords Chamber

Our deepest sympathy and sincere condolences are offered to all the Royal Family, as the whole nation shares in profound grief and treasures those moments, some longer than others, when their lives were touched and enriched by our amazing Queen. My very first memory is of watching her Coronation on our neighbour’s first TV. We all have our lifetimes of memories of Her Majesty to treasure, as if she was our own much-loved mother or grandmother. Now, in deepest sympathy with all who love her deeply, particularly her family, we pledge our commitment and allegiance to His Majesty King Charles III.

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

My Lords, what a wonderful note on which to end this session. As I said earlier, we are going to adjourn for the King’s address. I suggest, given that timings are not entirely certain, that we resume tributes not sooner than 10 minutes after the conclusion of the King’s address.

--- Later in debate ---

[Lord Thurlow (CB)]

My Lords, I have listened to many of the speeches today—an extraordinary day. They have been speeches expressing sadness and grief, mixed with wonderful, moving, heartfelt tributes, memories and a great outpouring of love and respect. I cannot add any more to the tributes; the vocabulary is exhausted, the superlatives are exhausted.

I feel that I am in something of a minority for, like the noble Baroness, Lady Stroud, I never met Her Majesty, but she entered my consciousness indelibly when I was 10 or 11. I lived in New Zealand, and there was to be a state visit. There was great excitement at school, at home and in the media—that is to say, children’s television. Although I never met Her Majesty, I stood very close to her on one of her visits, and I regret to report great disappointment: she was not wearing a crown. I had assumed that Her Majesty always wore a crown. We lived in New Zealand because my father was the high commissioner. The diplomatic life led me to grow up in many countries: Ghana, Canada, Nigeria and the Bahamas, as well as New Zealand. Everywhere had portraits of the Queen—usually, of course, wearing her crown. We prayed for Her Majesty and the Royal Family every Sunday in every country we lived in. She was a constant presence. I mention this because, in these countries, the love, affection and respect were everywhere. It was truly impressive, and it was a privilege to experience it first-hand.

I may be in the minority of not having met Her Majesty but I think I am probably one of the very few who has heard the national anthem “God Save the King” sung with vigour. For, 16 or 17 years after the Queen’s Coronation, I attended a visit to a small island in the Bahamas with my father, who was the governor. They had not had an official visit for decades. We climbed out of a small boat and the officers of the town lined up to shake hands. Then the band played and the school choir sang “God Save the King”. The news had not caught up with this little township.

Her Majesty’s legacy is one we can share. She was the world’s greatest role model; she defined the concept of service for us all with endeavour, commitment and, of course, as oft said today, humility. We must strive to behave in the same way. We remember our Queen, a wonderful person and a monarch who will, I am sure, enter history as a truly great individual, admired the world over. God bless the King.

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

My Lords, I sense that all noble Lords who wanted to give tributes have done so. I remind noble Lords that the House will sit again at 1 pm tomorrow for the continuation of tributes for those who want to come in to give them.

House adjourned at 7.34 pm.