Brexit: European Parliament Resolution
Debate between Baroness Goldie and Lord Cormack
Baroness Goldie
If I can recover from the stereophonic effect of the contributions from the Labour Benches, I thank the noble Lord for raising that issue. It is specific to the negotiations. I am certain that it will be discussed within the negotiations. It would be quite wrong for me to pre-empt an answer to that, and I am not going to do so.
Lord Cormack (Con)
My Lords, in order to calm the rhetoric in the European Parliament, will my noble friend think of sending a certain United Kingdom Member of that Parliament a definition of the word “mafia” and a copy of How to Win Friends and Influence People?
Baroness Goldie
As ever, my noble friend seeks to pour oil on troubled waters. I am sure his comments will be noted.
Brexit: Declaration of Friendship
Debate between Baroness Goldie and Lord Cormack
Lord Cormack
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, before invoking Article 50, they will lay before each House of Parliament a declaration of friendship and intent which they will then circulate to the Parliaments of the other European Union member states.
Baroness Goldie (Con)
My Lords, the Prime Minister’s Lancaster House speech made clear that, while we are leaving the European Union, we are not leaving Europe. Europe matters, and the UK will continue to be a reliable partner, willing ally and close friend to all the EU member states. Friendship is implicit in our relationship with Europe and there is therefore no need to lay a declaration of friendship and intent before this House and the other place ahead of triggering Article 50.
Lord Cormack (Con)
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that Answer, although I am sorry that it was not shorter and more in the affirmative. I am sure that she will acknowledge that it is vitally important that the friendship to which she referred, and to which the Question refers, is emphasised at every conceivable opportunity. We are sitting down with friends, neighbours and allies and not seeking to negotiate a peace treaty with enemies. It is clearly important that advancing our friendship is crucial to the success of the talks.
Baroness Goldie
My Lords, let me try to reassure my noble friend. I am absolutely certain that our negotiators, in conducting these vital and extremely important negotiations, will do so in the best traditions of relations amical, amistad und Freundschaft.
Brexit: Higher Education
Debate between Baroness Goldie and Lord Cormack(7 years, 11 months ago)
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Baroness Goldie
As the noble Baroness will be aware, we have made it very clear that we value highly the contribution of EU and international researchers and academic staff, and we will always welcome those with the skills, drive and expertise to make our nation better still. We have been clear that as a result of the referendum there has been no change in the rights and status of EU nationals who are already in the UK. I reassure the noble Baroness that this matter will of course be at the forefront of our negotiations, but I cannot pre-empt those negotiations. She will understand that we wish to do everything we can to protect the position of those EU nationals. Equally, in the negotiations we would wish to have recognised the position of our UK nationals, of whom there are 1 million elsewhere in the EU.
Lord Cormack (Con)
My Lords, once again I make the point that it would generate enormous good will if we could just tell those who are here that their position is not at risk. This would be a good prelude to negotiations and, by leading by example, I believe that we would achieve a very great deal.
Baroness Goldie
My noble friend makes a point that he has made before. I can simply respond by saying, as my colleagues have done on previous occasions, that these are important issues. I cannot pre-empt the negotiation detail but that will be at the forefront of our discussions.
Aleppo
Debate between Baroness Goldie and Lord Cormack
Baroness Goldie
I thank the noble Lord, Lord Wallace, for raising two important points. The first is of course that a solution to this problem has to be found within Syria. The United Kingdom Government, in conjunction with the partners to whom I referred, are using every means availableto them to urge both the regime and those who have influence over it, not least Russia, to acknowledge that. The noble Lord will be aware that the High Negotiations Committee has proposed a vision for Syria which the United Kingdom supports, and we very much urge everyone who cares about the country and who wants a future for it to have serious regard to what that committee has outlined.
I remind the noble Lord that the key partners with whom the United Kingdom operates are the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and that is separate from the global coalition against Daesh, which is another alliance. So a cohort of concerned and influential partners is doing everything it can to try to improve the situation in Syria. However, at the end of the day the solution will have to be found within the country itself.
The noble Lord raises the important issue of the status and situation of refugees—those who have been forced to flee. Of course one can look at the neighbouring countries, not least Jordan, which has been one of the major recipients of refugees and has been providing help on the border. He will also be aware that the United Kingdom is the second biggest bilateral donor of humanitarian aid, and we are desperately trying to do our bit to support these people. However, the future beyond the immediate situation largely depends on finding a solution to Syria.
Lord Cormack (Con)
My Lords, I urge my noble friend to seek an early meeting with the patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox Church, whom a number of us had the pleasure of meeting this afternoon. He would paint a rather different picture. There is a blot on our foreign policy here, and I urge my noble friend to seek that meeting and to listen very carefully.
Baroness Goldie
I am very grateful to my noble friend Lord Cormack for his contribution. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend that meeting. I am sure that such a meeting would be of interest, and I would very much hope that the Church would feel able to share with the Government any thoughts that it has. We will all be aware that we are doing what we can to try to assist but, as I said earlier to the noble Lord, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, short of intervening, there is a limit to what we can do in supporting, advising and trying to influence. We are working as part of a partnership.
India: UK Ex-Servicemen
Debate between Baroness Goldie and Lord Cormack
Baroness Goldie
The Commonwealth may have a locus in this. The United Kingdom Government have been more concerned with being directly focused on the specific situation of the six British nationals. As I said earlier, to that extent, the United Kingdom Government, through the Diplomatic Service, have been responsible for greatly assisting the men with matters such as visitation and support within the prison, and ensuring that charitable agencies can also lend support. The United Kingdom, through the Diplomatic Service, has been the facilitator for these improvements.
Lord Cormack (Con)
Following those last points, is my noble friend reasonably satisfied with the conditions in which these men are being held? Can she say something about that?
Baroness Goldie
I understand that the conditions are acceptable—indeed, better than those available to many Indian nationals. I understand that they do not share cells and there is a right to exercise and to have visits. Indeed, when families or friends have visited from abroad, these visits have been extensive, affording quality time with the prisoners. As I said to the noble Baroness on the Liberal Democrat Benches, the Diplomatic Service has also ensured that charitable agencies have been involved so that there is other support such as food supplies and access to medical advice.