Afghanistan and EU Council

John Bercow Excerpts

Tuesday 2nd July 2013 Commons Chamber

[Several hon. Members]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Given that Ministers were originally proposing to have their names on the private Member’s Bill, it is probably as well that the Prime Minister was not seeking to explain the intricacies of parliamentary procedure to his European colleagues.

[Richard Ottaway (Croydon South) (Con)]

I quite agree with the Prime Minister that the correct message to the Taliban is that stability is best achieved not through violence, but through negotiations. Further to questions from the Leader of the Opposition, will my right hon. Friend say what the prospects for the talks are? To what extent are regional players going to be involved, and will Pakistan be a part of that regional settlement?

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con)]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

I have been saving up the hon. Member for Kettering (Mr Hollobone) so that the House can savour him.

[Mr Hollobone]

My right hon. Friend will know that there are almost 11,000 foreign national offenders in our prisons, many from EU countries. There is an EU-wide compulsory prisoner transfer agreement, but only the United Kingdom and 12 other member states have ratified it. If it was not discussed at this EU Council, will the Prime Minister use his best endeavours to ensue that it is on the agenda for the next EU Council, ahead of the removal of transitional immigration controls from new entrant countries?