Middle East
Debate between Marsha De Cordova and Keir Starmer(1 week, 3 days ago)
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Marsha De Cordova (Battersea) (Lab)
I welcome this long-overdue ceasefire and phase one of this peace plan. The devastating number of Palestinians killed, including more than 18,400 children, is intolerable, and countless others have life-changing injuries. The devastation we have witnessed happened as a result of previous bombardments happening without any accountability; those atrocities were awful. What action will be taken to ensure that this time, justice and accountability—for the destruction of Gazan civilians’ infrastructure, for the man-made famine and for the mass killing of civilians—are made a reality?
The Prime Minister
The immediate focus is obviously on following through on the agreement, with the practical next steps; I do think that is of first importance. I reiterate again our commitment to international law and to accountability, including, of course, accountability for what happened on 7 October, which was the worst single attack on Jews since the Holocaust.
UK-EU Summit
Debate between Marsha De Cordova and Keir Starmer(5 months ago)
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The Prime Minister
We have moved apace to get this far, but we now need to move apace to implement what we agreed yesterday, so we will be doing that, and we will update the House as we do so.
Marsha De Cordova (Battersea) (Lab)
I congratulate the Prime Minister and his colleagues on their success at the summit. The Government’s hard work has paid off: this is a good deal and a good first step. Businesses will benefit from a reduction in red tape, and consumers will see lower bills in the long run. The announcement on youth experience and Erasmus+ will be welcomed by the many young people in my constituency. I also welcome the recognition of the value of touring artists in both the EU and the UK. I realise that the barriers to touring are complex, but will the PM commit himself to keeping up the hard work so we can begin to reduce and break down those barriers?
The Prime Minister
My hon. Friend has raised an important point about touring artists. We are absolutely committed to securing a better deal for them, and that will be part of the ongoing work as we move forward from this summit to the next.
Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report
Debate between Marsha De Cordova and Keir Starmer(1 year, 1 month ago)
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The Prime Minister
We will obviously look at all the recommendations and report back to the House, but we need to look at the wider issues too. Access to risk assessments is an important issue that we are considering. There should not be gaps. One of the benefits of a general debate is that it will be an opportunity to raise these and further points, which we will take away and consider.
Marsha De Cordova (Battersea) (Lab)
Today my thoughts are with the victims, the survivors, the families and the entire Grenfell community. The systemic dishonesty and many other injustices meant that the people of Grenfell were treated like second-class citizens. Successive Governments, the local authority and industry knew about the risks, but they failed to act.
As Sir Martin said, the deaths that occurred were entirely avoidable. Seven years on, no none has faced criminal proceedings and there are still thousands living in homes wrapped in unsafe cladding. I welcome what the Prime Minister has said today, I welcome the way he delivered his statement, and I am thankful that the Government will implement the phase 1 recommendation to ensure that every disabled person living in a high-rise block has a personal evacuation plan specific to their needs, but when the Prime Minister returns to update the House, it is vital that those living in unsafe homes have clear deadlines for when the flammable or unsafe cladding will be removed, so that they can have a decent night’s sleep.
The Prime Minister
I agree that the work is going too slowly; we need to push that work on, with clear timetables to ensure it is done. In response to the first part of my hon. Friend’s question, the wording of the report, which says that the deaths were entirely “avoidable”, must be chilling for all the family members and the community at large.