Business of the House

Andrew Rosindell Excerpts

Thursday 9th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I absolutely join my hon. Friend in congratulating all those involved with the Deeplish community centre in his constituency on celebrating its 35th birthday. He is a fellow Greater Manchester MP, and we are both well aware of the really good work that the Mayor, Andy Burnham, has been doing there to ensure we have early years provision. We have maintained the Sure Start model to some degree to ensure that everybody gets the very best start in life.

[Andrew Rosindell (Romford) (Con)]

I am sure the Leader of the House will be celebrating with the people of the Falkland Islands tomorrow as they gather for a public holiday to commemorate Margaret Thatcher Day. She was the Prime Minister who went there 42 years ago tomorrow, 10 January, following the liberation of the islands. Self-determination was of course what she fought for for the Falkland Islanders. Will the Leader of the House ensure that the Government make an urgent statement confirming the same principle of self-determination for all British citizens of all British territories, including the British Indian Ocean Territory and the right of self- determination for the Chagos Islanders?

[Lucy Powell]

I perhaps will not celebrate Margaret Thatcher Day in quite the way the hon. Member wants me to, but on behalf of the Government I absolutely make clear our commitment to the Falkland Islands. I remember very well the passionate defence that the Prime Minister made of that at this Dispatch Box in recent weeks, and of his family’s involvement in the Falklands war. He raises the Chagos issue, and he will be aware that his own Government began those negotiations. I think there were 11 rounds of negotiations about the future of the air base there under his Government’s watch, so it is very much something we inherited and that was in train at the time.