Nagorno-Karabakh
Debate between Earl of Courtown and Lord Purvis of Tweed
The Earl of Courtown (Con)
The noble Lord mentions reconciliation and is quite right on that issue. There have to be talks between the parties, a lasting peace, a cease of violence, and humanitarian access. The points he makes are well made.
Lord Purvis of Tweed (LD)
My Lords, I associate myself with the noble Earl’s words regarding the further tragic deaths just this week. Will he agree that part of the UK’s assistance could be in technical support for peacebuilding work? There is likely to be further huge movement of individuals. There is uncertainty as to who will be the guarantors of the security and there is confusion over the role of Russia and the former peacekeepers. The UK can play an important role in this, so I hope we are offering that.
The Earl of Courtown (Con)
The noble Lord makes some good points. As he is aware, Russian peacekeepers are there, but Azerbaijan’s ability to conduct a military operation in full sight of them shows how committed Moscow is to peace and security in this area. This is an ongoing situation and the position is unclear, but we are making every effort to make representations. As I said earlier, my noble friend Lord Ahmad is at the UN. There is a UN Security Council meeting later today, where he will make these points. Later in the week, he has meetings with Foreign Ministers from that area, particularly the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan.
Rhodes Wildfires: Repatriation of Holidaymakers
Debate between Earl of Courtown and Lord Purvis of Tweed
The Earl of Courtown (Con)
My Lords, I quite understand the point made by the noble Baroness, Lady Smith of Basildon. The situation in Rhodes is stabilising at the moment. The vast majority of the island is not affected by these fires and, as I said, our travel advice is kept under constant review. I understand the situation for people taking valued holidays in difficult times; they really want some certainty. I will take that back.
Lord Purvis of Tweed (LD)
My Lords, I will inform the House of the current FCDO guidance. Its website says:
“If you are planning to travel to any areas affected by wildfires, please check with your travel operator or hotel prior to travel”.
Is it safe, in the coming days and weeks, for people from the UK to travel to the areas affected by wildfires?
The Earl of Courtown (Con)
My Lords, as I said, the situation is stabilising—I had a call with the department earlier this morning—and the majority of the island is not affected by these fires. As I have reiterated time and again, the travel advice is kept under constant review.
Saudi Arabia: Mass Execution
Debate between Earl of Courtown and Lord Purvis of Tweed
The Earl of Courtown (Con)
My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Collins, raises the issue of the juvenile death penalty. As I said in my earlier Answer, the British embassy at Riyadh closely monitors all juvenile death penalty defendants and regularly attempts to attend their trials. In April 2020, the Saudi Human Rights Commission announced a moratorium on death penalty sentences for individuals who committed discretionary crimes of violence. The noble Lord also mentioned our engagement with the Saudi Arabian Government, and I can say that engagement carries on, at all levels and at every opportunity. At every opportunity in the future, we will continue to raise issues relating to the use of the death penalty in Saudi Arabia.
Lord Purvis of Tweed (LD)
My Lords, the Government’s last human rights report highlighted what they considered to be real progress by Saudi Arabia on the use of the death penalty, but that has now been horrifically reversed. Indeed, the Government’s own human rights report singled out that Saudi Arabia does not allow external witnesses to its trials. Last week, the noble Lord, Lord Grimstone, and officials were offering Saudi Arabia greater market access to our aerospace industry and now we are in negotiations to offer it preferential access to the City of London. Will the Government give an indication that they are not just concerned about this but will remove preferential market access for Saudi Arabia in the UK economy for grievous and horrific human rights abuses?
The Earl of Courtown (Con)
My Lords, the noble Lord is quite right in how he has described these abuses, and I was personally shocked to read the news over the weekend about the execution of 81 individuals. The noble Lord also mentioned human rights: yes, we are particularly concerned over a variety of human rights issues relating to arrest and the continued detention of individuals, and my noble friend Lord Ahmad raises this on all levels. All these issues are always under review. We have a very close relationship with Saudi Arabia and this enables us to have full and frank discussions over these issues.