Oral Answers to Questions

Marsha De Cordova Excerpts

Monday 2nd June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Dame Diana Johnson]

A case has been made over several years for why retail workers should be covered by this specific offence. Work was done with the Co-op, the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers and many others to get the evidence together. If there is evidence from the financial sector and from banks, I want to see it, so I ask the hon. Gentleman to talk to the people with whom he was having conversations about this. I am very open to looking at this, but at the moment, we have drawn up the offence on the basis of the evidence available to us.

[Marsha De Cordova (Battersea) (Lab)]

5. What assessment she has made of the potential merits of creating a visa scheme for people in Gaza related to UK nationals.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Seema Malhotra)]

I know that we are all desperately concerned about the intolerable humanitarian situation in Gaza. The UK, along with France, Germany and many others, continues to call for an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages and more aid into Gaza. There are a range of routes available for those wishing to join family members in the UK, and we are working with the Israeli, Palestinian and other authorities in the region to help British nationals and other eligible people to leave Gaza via safe routes.

[Marsha De Cordova]

The situation in Gaza is beyond devastating. More than 54,000 lives have been lost. Hospitals are being bombed, people are being tortured and starvation is being used as a weapon of war. Palestinians in the UK are rightly scared that they may not see their mother, father, brother or sister survive these atrocities. The Government rightly responded to the war in Ukraine by offering a family visa scheme, so that Ukrainians could travel here to join their family. Is it not time for a similar scheme—a Gaza family scheme that offers the same solidarity and respect for life?

[Seema Malhotra]

The statement that we recently issued with France and Germany, calling for Israel to immediately restart a rapid and unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, was vital. We still need to see so much more action being taken. Any decision to implement a bespoke visa scheme would need to consider a range of factors, including the unique crisis situation and the relevant impacts on security, compliance and returns. As I have said, immediate family members are able to join those in the UK using one of the existing family routes.