Libya

Lord McNally Excerpts

Monday 21st March 2011 Lords Chamber

[Lord Trefgarne]

My Lords—

[Lord McNally]

There is another 20 minutes to go. My noble friend Lord Trefgarne was on his feet before.

[Noble Lords]

Oh!

[Lord McNally]

Noble Lords are behaving worse with 40 minutes than they did when they had 20 minutes.

[Lord Trefgarne]

My Lords, I am obliged to my noble friend. As someone who has been involved in Anglo-Libyan commercial relations for the past five or six years, I have, needless to say, received with the greatest distress what has been happening in Libya in recent weeks: the wholesale slaughter of civilians and the wounding of a great many more. I am bound to say, therefore, that I very much agree with the action that the Government took first at the United Nations and then in joining the military operations of recent days.

However, we have to be careful about the objectives that we are seeking, both military and political. The military objectives are surely simply to pave the way towards the political objectives; and the political objective seems clear, which is to provide for the people of Libya an opportunity to choose for themselves in a free and fair way who should be their leaders.

--- Later in debate ---

[Lord Chidgey]

My Lords—

[Lord McNally]

My Lords, shall we hear from the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Craig of Radley, first?

[Lord Craig of Radley]

My Lords, I thank the Leader of the House for repeating the Statement. He mentioned that the Libyan air defence system had been knocked out—an essential prerequisite for setting up a no-fly zone. The cost of doing that is not inconsiderable; Tomahawks check out at about £500,000, and Sky Shadows for not much less. Hopefully there will be no need to use so many of those weapons in the future. Nevertheless, the cost already of these operations and the ongoing cost will not be inconsiderable. Will the Minister confirm that these costs will be met entirely from the contingency fund and not from the defence vote?