Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Rosie Cooper and Lord Hague of Richmond

Tuesday 19th June 2012 Commons Chamber

[Rosie Cooper (West Lancashire) (Lab)]

13. What recent assessment he has made of efforts to encourage the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships to return to negotiations.

[The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr William Hague)]

I welcome the recent efforts by the Palestinian and Israeli leaderships to renew direct contacts. We have urged both sides to focus on dialogue, to avoid any steps that could undermine the prospects for peace and to work towards the resumption of direct negotiations.

[Rosie Cooper]

Following the Israeli Deputy Prime Minister’s reported request to meet the Palestinian President, what steps is the Secretary of State taking to help both parties to overcome the current impasse and resume negotiations?

[Mr Hague]

We are strongly urging both sides to build on the current contacts, and we have discussed that with, among others, the new Israeli Deputy Prime Minister. Those contacts include the joint statement of 12 May following the exchange of letters between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas. We are encouraging them to resume direct negotiations. We welcome the statement by Prime Minister Netanyahu that the new coalition in Israel presents an opportunity to advance the peace process, and we urge them to take that opportunity.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Rosie Cooper and Lord Hague of Richmond

Tuesday 3rd May 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hague]

We are in complete agreement about the meaning of legal advice on these matters, and about the need—I stress this again as I stressed it to the House last week—to stay clearly within the United Nations resolutions in order to maintain the legal, moral and international support we have for these actions. So there is no disagreement between the UK and the United States. However, I do not think it is right to speculate about individual targets.

[Rosie Cooper (West Lancashire) (Lab)]

9. What recent discussions he has had with the Palestinian Authority to encourage the resumption of peace negotiations.

--- Later in debate ---

[Rosie Cooper (West Lancashire) (Lab)]

T3. Described as the single greatest advertisement for Britain, the value of the BBC World Service cannot be underestimated, especially given that Syrian demonstrators hold up placards with “Thank you BBC” on them. Will the Minister therefore consider making the appropriate representations to stop the disproportionate reduction in the BBC World Service output before it is too late?

[Mr Hague]

Nothing disproportionate has happened or will happen to the BBC World Service. The reduction in its spending between 2007 and 2014, the period for which the Foreign Office is under spending restraint, will be exactly the same as the proportionate reduction in the rest of the Foreign Office family and a good deal less than that for the British Council. It is important that we save money across the public sector—we have had to do so given the behaviour of the previous Government—but the World Service has a secure future, as does the Arabic service. Transferring the BBC World Service into the licence fee funding arrangement means that it has a secure future for the long term.