Oral Answers to Questions

Bob Blackman Excerpts
Tuesday 19th June 2012

(12 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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David Lidington Portrait Mr Lidington
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We have consistently said to the Ukrainian Government that the selective use of justice in Ukraine is unacceptable and we want their policy to change. There is still time for improvement, but unless that happens I do not want to hold out much hope that our policy will shift.

Bob Blackman Portrait Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)
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Does my right hon. Friend welcome the fact that the England team went to Auschwitz-Birkenau ahead of the tournament to bring home to people, in eastern Europe in particular, the horrors of the Nazi atrocities? What a welcome respite that is from some of the terrible things we have heard about in Ukraine.

David Lidington Portrait Mr Lidington
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I entirely endorse what my hon. Friend says. It is particularly important that sporting champions—who can, perhaps, cut through to parts of society that will not listen to speeches by politicians—set an example in the way the England players did.