Brexit Readiness: Operation Yellowhammer

Debate between John Bercow and Richard Burden

Wednesday 25th September 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

It is good to hear it. Not merely an hon. Gentleman, but an hon. Friend—I am sure the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) will rejoice in the fact of that approbation.

[Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield) (Lab)]

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster may recall that the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, representing the UK auto industry, described the prospect of a no-deal Brexit as an “existential threat” to their sector. Nobody could complain that they have not made preparations for a no-deal Brexit—they have spent millions of pounds in so doing—but I have not heard them say anything that indicates that they have changed their mind about the severity of the threat they face in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Has he?

Points of Order

Debate between John Bercow and Richard Burden

Tuesday 10th July 2018 Commons Chamber

[Richard Burden]

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I should be grateful if I could correct the record.

Last Wednesday, when I rose to ask the urgent question on Khan al-Ahmar that you had kindly granted me, I had just heard that bulldozers had arrived at the village, and that demolition had started. I reflected that in what I said.

Although demolition had indeed started at the nearby village of Abu Nuwar that morning, what I did not know was that the bulldozers had paused before commencing the demolition of Khan al-Ahmar. Whether that was because of the number of people who were there to protest—a number of whom were injured that day—or the presence of foreign diplomats, including those from the United Kingdom, I do not know. What I do know is that a court injunction has since been secured prohibiting the demolition until at least tomorrow. That makes the form of words that I used last week inaccurate, and I want to take this opportunity to correct the record.

In doing so, I thank Members in all parts of the House for raising their voices in opposition to the breach of international law at Khan al-Ahmar, which I am sure has helped to change the course of events in the past week. As the injunction is only temporary, however, pressure is still needed to keep the villagers of Khan al-Ahmar safe in the long term.

I am grateful for this opportunity to update the House, and to correct the record of last Wednesday’s exchanges.

[Mr Speaker]

I am moved to observe that the hon. Gentleman, who is a very dextrous and dedicated parliamentarian, stretched the elastic almost, but perhaps not quite, to snapping point in getting across a particular line of argument or set of observations that he wished to be recorded in the Official Report. However, I want to say two things in response to him. First, I thank him for his typical courtesy in giving me notice that he wished to raise this matter, and indeed for his promptness in correcting the record at the earliest opportunity. Secondly, of course I would accept his correction in any case, and I am sure that the House will, but I speak with some experience of the hon. Gentleman, because for nearly five years we served together on the Select Committee on International Development, and I know both the extent of his knowledge of the matters he has just raised and the absolutely undeniable sincerity with which he pursues what are not merely his concerns, but the concerns of a great many people. So I thank him.

Home Office Removal Targets

Debate between John Bercow and Richard Burden

Thursday 26th April 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call Richard Burden, who in my experience is also brevity personified.

[Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield) (Lab)]

Thank you, Mr Speaker, I will do my best. Is not the problem that a culture of tunnel-vision suspicion has been encouraged in the Home Office? Only last week in my constituency, that culture led officials to attempt to remove a man who had come to this country legally on a multi-entry visa, to be with his wife who had just been through a difficult pregnancy and termination. He had booked a return ticket to Jamaica, but officials said that he had “undermined his position” because he said that he wanted to spend as much time with his wife as he was legally able to do. Is not there something wrong with that kind of mindset?

EU Council

Debate between John Bercow and Richard Burden

Wednesday 29th June 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I did not know the Prime Minister had quite such a compendious knowledge of modern music. I am extraordinarily impressed.

[Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield) (Lab)]

I am not going to ask the Prime Minister to remember any more lyrics. He will have heard right hon. and hon. Members on both sides of the House talk about the importance of manufacturing to the midlands. In Prime Minister’s questions, he will also have heard my hon. Friend the Member for Ilford South (Mike Gapes) refer to the comments of Sadiq Khan about London having a voice in the preparations for negotiations and in the negotiations themselves. I absolutely agree with that. However, will the Prime Minister say something about the mechanisms that he envisages to allow regions outside of London to have a say in the preparations for negotiations and in the negotiations themselves?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Richard Burden

Tuesday 23rd February 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Demand always massively exceeds supply at Question Time, especially at Foreign Office questions. We do not really have time, but I am allowing time for one last question. I call Mr Richard Burden.

[Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield) (Lab)]

May I press the Foreign Secretary further on the answer he gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield South East (Mr Betts)? Is there anything in World Trade Organisation or other rules that fetters a public institution’s ability to act on the advice that the FCO puts on its website, which my hon. Friend quoted?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Richard Burden

Wednesday 3rd June 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I fear that the microphones are not working as well as they should today, so Members probably need to speak up a bit.

[Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield) (Lab)]

T2. Up to 18,000 civilians are cut off in Yarmouk camp on the outskirts of Damascus. This week, the UN co-ordinator described the situation as absolutely critical. What are the Government doing either to get assistance into Yarmouk, or to get more civilians out of Yarmouk?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Richard Burden

Tuesday 20th January 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

It would be good to get through some questions.

[Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield) (Lab)]

But will not the Foreign Secretary accept that what undermines the UK’s credibility on these matters is the charge of double standards? In relation to Bahrain, it has been estimated that 54 people have been arrested just this month. There is no consistency between our arms sales policy and our human rights policy. Will the Foreign Secretary not accept that we need to address that more seriously than we have done up till now?

Overseas Aid (Private Sector Contracts)

Debate between John Bercow and Richard Burden

Monday 11th March 2013 Commons Chamber

[Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield) (Lab)]

Along with other members of the International Development Committee, I have just come back from Ethiopia, and I can tell the Secretary of State that DFID staff are already working with colleagues in other Government Departments to try to involve British business in development. There is nothing wrong with that, but will she accept that there is no easy line to be drawn between tied aid and untied aid? We have only to look at the way in which the United States’ development efforts work to understand the truth of that. The Tea party tendency that my hon. Friend the Member for Bury South (Mr Lewis) referred to is alive and well in her party, so how will she prevent her announcement today from being used in some quarters to—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I think we have the gist of the hon. Gentleman’s question.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Richard Burden

Wednesday 23rd May 2012 Commons Chamber

[Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield) (Lab)]

Has the International Development Secretary joined the Foreign Secretary and, curiously, the Education Secretary in meeting Israeli Foreign Minister Lieberman during his visit to the UK? Irrespective of whether he meets him, will the right hon. Gentleman transmit to the Israeli Foreign Minister the concerns of the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Co-ordinator, who visited the west bank last week and said:

“I am extremely concerned about the humanitarian impact of demolitions and displacement on Palestinian families. Such actions cause great human suffering, run counter to international law and must be brought to a halt”?

[Mr Speaker]

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Bercow and Richard Burden

Tuesday 14th December 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I know we are focusing on economic development in this question.

[Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield) (Lab)]

Given what the Minister has said about economic development in the west bank, does he share my concern that it is not in the interests of the economic development of that region to see the tightening rather than easing of movement restrictions in the Jordan valley and Palestinians and Bedouins being dispossessed in the Jordan valley?

Afghanistan

Debate between John Bercow and Richard Burden

Monday 14th June 2010 Commons Chamber

[Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield) (Lab)]

The Prime Minister has focused most of his remarks on security issues—rightly and understandably so. Can he say a little more about the development angles of our strategy in Afghanistan, and in particular, what, if any, changes he sees in the overall development strategy, how he feels about the so-called whole Afghanistan strategy which looks beyond Helmand and Kandahar to other parts of Afghanistan, and how he feels about the use of instruments such as the Afghan reconstruction trust fund for the disbursement of assistance? Finally, will he revisit the International Development Committee’s report from nearly two and a half years ago, which still has relevant messages to give about development strategies in Afghanistan?

[Mr Speaker]

I heard four questions, but one answer will suffice.

Foreign Affairs and Defence

Debate between John Bercow and Richard Burden

Wednesday 26th May 2010 Commons Chamber

[Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield) (Lab)]

I, too, give my congratulations to the right hon. Gentleman. As he has said, the words that he has chosen are exactly the same as those used by the former Government, but a number of us feel that the problem is that what he has described is not happening and that progress is not being made. It is important that on this issue, which is vital to world peace, everybody should know exactly where Governments and Prime Ministers stand. On the day following another Israeli attack on Gaza there is some concern about whether or not this Government acknowledge that Operation Cast Lead, which took place last year and caused such carnage in Gaza, was disproportionate. The former Government were clear that it was disproportionate, but do his Government take that view?

[Mr Speaker]

Order. We have got the point. The interventions are still too long.