Libya and the Middle East Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Libya and the Middle East

Greg Hands Excerpts
Monday 28th February 2011

(13 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. Many hon. Members are still seeking to contribute, but there is pressure on time as we also have a heavily subscribed debate under the auspices of the Backbench Business Committee. Therefore, if I am to accommodate most colleagues, extreme brevity is now required.

Greg Hands Portrait Greg Hands (Chelsea and Fulham) (Con)
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Returning to the question asked by the hon. Member for Rhondda (Chris Bryant) on close relations with Colonel Gaddafi’s son Saif, was the Prime Minister as surprised as I was to learn that Saif Gaddafi also had many meetings with the previous Business Secretary, Lord Mandelson, and described the former Prime Minister, Tony Blair, as a “close personal friend”?

Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton Portrait The Prime Minister
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My hon. Friend makes a good point that highlights the issues that I raised earlier. It was right to restore relations with Libya, but parameters and judgment needed to be brought to bear as well.