Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Hughes Excerpts

Monday 2nd September 2013 Commons Chamber

[Simon Hughes (Bermondsey and Old Southwark) (LD)]

T3. Following the answer to the first topical question and in the light of last Thursday’s decision, what conflict-resolution role does the Secretary of State envisage for our troops based either in Cyprus or more widely in the middle east and north Africa region?

[Mr Philip Hammond]

As I have made clear, we accept the will of Parliament that there will be no British military involvement in any action against Syria. That does not mean that we are not continuing to press for a diplomatic solution and for the convening of the Geneva peace conference to try to reach a negotiated transition in Syria. No one has yet suggested that any such transition would involve any military role for the UK. Until such a conference convenes and makes progress, any such question is purely hypothetical.

Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Hughes Excerpts

Monday 17th June 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Dunne]

As the hon. Gentleman knows, the Government have adopted a policy of open competition when it comes to, in particular, commodity equipment such as clothing. I am afraid that if the business in his constituency was unable to bid competitively, that is the consequence.

[Simon Hughes (Bermondsey and Old Southwark) (LD)]

Figures produced two years ago showed that four out of 100 homeless people in London had spent some time in the armed services. The Government have taken welcome initiatives in regulation, legislation and policy, but can the Minister update us on what further progress is being made, given that there are likely to be more redundancies in the armed services, and given that Armed Forces day will be celebrated at the end of the month?

[Mr Francois]

I take a close personal interest in the issue of veterans’ housing. In March I met Hugh Milroy of Veterans Aid, and I subsequently visited New Belvedere house, a hostel for homeless veterans in Limehouse, east London. Last month I visited a community self-build project for veterans in Bedminster in Bristol. The Government have asked the community to show their commitment to the services and the veterans of our country, in some cases via local authorities, and I am pleased to say that 331 councils, including all those in Scotland, have signed a community covenant. I am sure that that will help our service personnel when they become veterans and seek housing in the future.

Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Hughes Excerpts

Monday 14th January 2013 Commons Chamber

[Simon Hughes (Bermondsey and Old Southwark) (LD)]

T4. May I preface my question by saying that my younger brother is a defence mental health professional? Is the idea that has been around that all serving personnel should have mental health assessments and training being progressed and what progress has been made on it?

[Mr Francois]

I have been briefed on this specific issue by Professor Simon Wessely and his team at King’s college London, who are internationally renowned as experts in this field. They are researching this specific issue and we are awaiting the outcome of that research. I know you want brief answers, Mr Speaker, but the professor was knighted for his public service in the new year’s honours list and we most heartily welcome that.

Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Hughes Excerpts

Monday 26th March 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hammond]

Yes, I would be happy to do so.

[Simon Hughes (Bermondsey and Old Southwark) (LD)]

In the welcome building stability overseas strategy on conflict prevention, is the MOD contributing anything to seek to bring down the pressure in the middle east, and in Syria in particular?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Gerald Howarth)]

I am delighted to be able to give my right hon. Friend an assurance that the Ministry of Defence is working closely with the Foreign Office and the Department for International Development because we think building stability overseas and defence diplomacy are extremely important parts of the overall picture in conflict prevention. I can assure my right hon. Friend and the House that we are working hard to that end.

Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Hughes Excerpts

Monday 19th December 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hammond]

I have already said in answer to an earlier question that we have doubled the operational allowance. That is critical to troops on operations and is hugely appreciated. We have increased the pay of the lowest paid members of the armed forces, even during the pay freeze, by a fixed £250, which is a more significant percentage for those on the lowest pay levels. The hon. Lady can pontificate all she likes from the Labour Benches, but the problem that we are dealing with and that we have to deal with to give our armed forces the stability and confidence they want for the future is based on the legacy of debt from and undeliverable promises made by the previous Administration.

[Simon Hughes (Bermondsey and Old Southwark) (LD)]

15. What support is available at higher and further education level for young people who want to join the armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Andrew Robathan)]

Further education support is provided to people who join the services, generally through apprenticeships which include nationally recognised vocational and academic qualifications. For those young people who wish to join the armed forces and have aspirations to continue in higher education, opportunities include the defence sixth-form college at Welbeck; bursaries and scholarships in secondary and further educational establishments; the defence technical officer and engineer undergraduate scheme; and cadetships for students reading degrees in specific professions, such as medicine or the law.

[Simon Hughes]

That is very welcome, but it is not as well known as it ought to be. Given that next month is the first cut-off date for people applying to go to university next year, will the Minister see if he can make sure that all those who have shown an interest in joining the armed services are told about the support opportunities open to them if they go into the services but also want to carry on in formal education?

[Mr Robathan]

I take the right hon. Gentleman’s point entirely and I agree with him, but those opportunities are quite well known. Some 41 years ago I took up a university cadetship at university, which was very welcome. People who wish to join the armed forces now know that they can get assistance at university and at other educational establishments.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Hammond]

That is a very deep but helpful question. The Government are clearly committed to integrating defence diplomacy with our wider diplomatic effort to ensure that the UK’s Government-wide objectives are best delivered through the use of all the assets available, including our defence assets, and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I will publish our strategy for defence engagement in the new year.

[Simon Hughes (Bermondsey and Old Southwark) (LD)]

T5. I warmly welcome the Prime Minister’s announcement today that he is setting up a Cabinet Committee to deal with all matters relating to the armed services and veterans. I ask that the Committee prioritises housing issues, which are referred to often, and that there is an indication of how colleagues in this House and members of the armed services and their families outside can give evidence to the Committee.

[Mr Robathan]

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his question, because I think that the announcement shows that we are prioritising the needs of our service, particularly ex-service personnel. I am absolutely certain that housing will be at the top of the list of matters that are discussed. It is a Cabinet Committee and so will not be taking evidence, but I am sure that it will receive representations and submissions, which will be very welcome.

Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Hughes Excerpts

Monday 10th October 2011 Commons Chamber

[Nick Harvey]

That is a good question. I will check what sharing of information we have with our EU allies when we turn down an application, and I will write to the hon. Gentleman in due course.

[Simon Hughes (Bermondsey and Old Southwark) (LD)]

14. What meetings he has had with his ministerial colleagues on the stabilisation of Libya.

[Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con)]

17. What discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues on recovering from the national transitional council in Libya any of the costs to his Department of the deployment of armed forces to that country.

[The Secretary of State for Defence (Dr Liam Fox)]

The National Security Council, chaired by the Prime Minister and attended by myself and other ministerial colleagues, meets regularly to discuss the ongoing operations in Libya, including stabilisation. In terms of recovering the costs of operations in Libya from the national transitional council, NATO’s intervention in Libya under a clear UN mandate has saved countless lives and is helping to bring new hope to a country that has suffered tyrannical rule for 42 years, but the UK did not play a leading role in this action for financial return.

[Simon Hughes]

Given the extended nature of the Libyan conflict, the tribal nature of the country and the experience in Iraq, will the Defence Secretary assure me that maximum attention will be given to conflict prevention and conflict resolution issues from now onwards, so that we do not have a recurrence of victory followed by great difficulties thereafter?

[Dr Fox]

That is a key question. I visited Libya at the weekend. The right hon. Gentleman mentioned Iraq, but Libya has three big advantages coming out of this conflict compared with Iraq. First, we were careful not to cause civilian deaths, which has given the impression that we value human life higher; secondly, we did not target civilian infrastructure, so it is likely that the country will be able to move much more quickly to economic recovery; and thirdly we encouraged the NTC not to engage in a process similar to de-Ba’athification. I therefore find Libya in a much better place than Iraq was.

Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Hughes Excerpts

Monday 4th July 2011 Commons Chamber

[Dr Fox]

Assuming our operations continue until September, which is not unrealistic, we assess the cost to be about £260 million. I have set out the details of that in a written answer to the House.

[Simon Hughes (Bermondsey and Old Southwark) (LD)]

13. What input his Department has had to the arms export review being undertaken by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

[The Minister for the Armed Forces (Nick Harvey)]

MOD officials have engaged with Foreign Office colleagues on the review of export licensing previously announced on 16 March by the Foreign Secretary.

[Simon Hughes]

Given the considerable interest that there has been in export licences in relation to the middle east and north Africa, and the desire of many of our constituents to see a change in the old regime and system and a reduction in arms sales abroad, will my hon. Friend tell us whether we are likely to have the results of the review before the summer recess, and whether we will have an opportunity to debate them on the Floor of the House?

[Nick Harvey]

I understand that the intention is to publish the findings of the review before the summer recess, but whether there will be the opportunity to debate them in the House is not a matter for me. I assure my right hon. Friend, however, that we continue to operate on a case-by-case basis in the middle east in relation to fresh applications for export licences.

Armed Forces Covenant

Simon Hughes Excerpts

Monday 16th May 2011 Commons Chamber

[Dr Fox]

It will. It will be settled by bids coming to the Ministry of Defence and any funding project that a community might undertake will be eligible for that. I am sure that the hon. Lady, knowing her, will be one of the first in the queue.

[Simon Hughes (Bermondsey and Old Southwark) (LD)]

Tributes have rightly been given to the Royal British Legion, whose UK headquarters are in my constituency, for its fantastic campaign, which has led us to today. Will the Secretary of State assure us that the implication of his announcement on the covenant is that those leaving active service and leaving the services will be entitled thereafter to housing, if they do not have it, and to prompt and continuing health care, particularly mental health care, from the time that they are discharged?

[Dr Fox]

We cannot give guarantees on housing because the Government do not make direct provision of housing, but we will want to work with local authorities to ensure that the aspirations set out today are put forward in as practical a way as possible. On health care, I have made the point on innumerable occasions. I am pleased that so many points have been made about mental health care, because 10 years ago they would not have been made in this House of Commons; there is a shifting societal view of it. It is very important that we get timely health care. As I said in response to the hon. Member for Midlothian (Mr Hamilton), it is important that we try to profile, where we can, those who might be the most vulnerable so that we can give them the closest follow up. As is true in mental health generally, those who suffer from mental health problems might be the last to recognise that it is a problem and therefore be one of the last to present. We must try to ensure that we have a mechanism to identify them rather than depending purely on self-identification.