Oral Answers to Questions

Gavin Newlands Excerpts

Thursday 16th January 2020 Commons Chamber

[Carol Monaghan (Glasgow North West) (SNP)]

5. What steps the Government are taking to protect UNESCO world heritage sites throughout the world.

[Gavin Newlands (Paisley and Renfrewshire North) (SNP)]

16. What steps the Government are taking to protect UNESCO world heritage sites throughout the world.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Helen Whately)]

There are over 1,000 UNESCO world heritage sites globally. The UK is the proud home to 32, six of which are in Scotland. The Government take their responsibilities under the world heritage convention very seriously. In recent years, we have sadly seen some of the world’s great cultural treasures destroyed by conflict or natural disasters. We are working around the world to help to protect world heritage sites.

[Helen Whately]

The targeting of cultural sites contravenes several international conventions to which the United States is a party, including the world heritage convention and the 1954 Hague convention. The Foreign Secretary was very clear that we expect those conventions to be adhered to.

[Gavin Newlands]

The lack of direct condemnation of Donald Trump’s threats by either the Prime Minister or the Foreign Secretary was actually pretty shameful. Putting to one side for just a moment the Government’s desperate need for a US trade deal, will the Minister do what her colleagues have failed to do and unequivocally condemn the White House and President Trump for his reckless and provocative threats?