Oral Answers to Questions

Khalid Mahmood Excerpts

Tuesday 4th September 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

I heard many compliments when I went to Germany about my right hon. Friend’s diplomacy with and links to Germany, and we had very good discussions with Heiko Maas on the issue of sanctions. That is going to become more important in the months ahead, because the United States has said it will introduce sanctions as a result of the Salisbury attacks and is very clear that it would not be appropriate for Europe not to respond in kind, given that the attack happened on European soil. That is an area where we hope to make common cause with Germany.

[Mr Khalid Mahmood (Birmingham, Perry Barr) (Lab)]

I am delighted that the Secretary of State is taking this question. I hope he will answer a very simple yes or no question that his predecessor always refused to answer: does the new Secretary of State believe that cameras and number plate readers placed on roads are physical infrastructure?

[Mr Hunt]

What we want is no physical infrastructure, because we want to defend the Good Friday agreement, and that is what our current proposals do.