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Ms Chris McCafferty (Calder Valley): Is my hon. Friend aware that three generations of one family in my constituency--mother, grandmother and five-year-old daughter--died in the tragic events at Luxor? I welcome his message of condolence to the family, and wish to associate myself with it. I also welcome his unequivocal condemnation of terrorism when it is so fanatical and destructive. Equally, it should be said that the vast majority of Egyptian people are democratic and peace-loving, so I welcome the statement of support for the Government of Egypt in their determination to maintain democratic government and secular democracy.
Mr. Henderson: I thank my hon. Friend for her comments: I am sure that the whole House would wish to repeat its horror at the events that have caused such huge grief to her constituents and constituency. There is a continual dialogue with the Egyptian Government, and one of the important issues discussed is to agree with the Egyptian Government what measures can be taken to ensure that democracy is reinforced at every opportunity in a difficult situation in Cairo. That is this Government's top priority, and we have taken the opportunity on several recent occasions to express it to our Egyptian friends.
Mr. Michael Fallon (Sevenoaks): Is the Minister aware of the widespread shock and grief in Swanley today that a dream holiday for two pensioners should have ended in murder? Does he think that there is any general case for reviewing the way in which travel advice is issued to tour operators by the Foreign Office?
Mr. Henderson: I repeat my condolences to the hon. Gentleman's constituents and constituency, who have also faced terrible tragedy. Advice is given to travellers, travel agents and travel companies on a regular basis and a wide area of interest. In most circumstances, the degree of risk is explained to those involved, but ultimately it is for those who wish to travel to make a decision based on the information that they receive. It is my Department's intention to make sure that they are furnished with every piece of information that might be of help to them.
Mr. Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington): The Minister will know that this is not the first time that Islamic fundamentalist movements have organised a terrorist incident, and he will know that it will not be the last. Is the Foreign Office developing a pool of expertise--that is, people who really understand what motivates those groups and who have studied the background to them--to meet that threat in future so that, as and when, inevitably, we are faced with more incidents of this nature in the western world, we shall be equipped with the Foreign Office expertise to deal with them?
Mr. Henderson: I can reassure my hon. Friend that my Department is fully briefed, not only on the factual
situation in those areas of the world, but on political opinions expressed by the widest range of sources. I have every confidence in my Department's ability to brief Ministers and to provide advice on which the people of this nation can base their decisions.
Mr. Nicholas Soames (Mid-Sussex): Does the Minister accept that while I agree with him about terrorism, I endorse the views of the hon. and learned Member for North-East Fife (Mr. Campbell) on the peace process and the difficulties that that makes for Egypt? Does he agree that Egypt holds a pivotal position in the middle east and that the Egyptian Government deserve whatever support we can give? Is he aware that, from time to time, we have been able to provide them with training from the Ministry of Defence? Will he examine whether there is a case for reviewing the training that is currently given, to see whether more training--or some of the more sophisticated techniques on which we are great experts--could be offered to our Egyptian friends?
Mr. Henderson: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his comments. I assure him that they are well taken. His points constituted part of our dialogue with the Egyptian Government. Where we can provide assistance, we would want to do so.
Mr. Harry Barnes (North-East Derbyshire): I wish to associate myself with the sympathy that has been expressed, and with the Minister's views on terrorism. Luxor is a fine place with fine people, many of whom are impoverished. They will be devastated by what has taken place and its effect on tourism. After considering the terrorist situation, will the Government examine how help may be given to the people and economy of Egypt? Do the Government recognise that Islam was not a key link in this act? It is like the link that exists between some terrorist groups and Christianity in the western world. Most of Islam abhors such acts.
Mr. Henderson: I thank my hon. Friend for that comment. I am sure that it is true that the vast majority of the Islamic world condemns this atrocity in the same way as we do. He should address his remarks on assistance to Egypt to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development, but assistance is part of the regular dialogue between our two countries. I am sure that that will continue to be the case.
Mr. Douglas Hogg (Sleaford and North Hykeham): While it is right to support the policies of the Egyptian Government that are designed to root out terrorism, may I support the remarks of the hon. and learned Member for North-East Fife (Mr. Campbell) about the importance of pushing forward the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians? That is critical if there is to be an end, or at least a reduction, of tension and of the underlying support for Islamic fundamentalism. It is important that, wherever possible, we try to encourage regimes in the middle east to make themselves more accountable and representative, because that also tends to diminish the support that underpins Islamic fundamentalism in the region.
Mr. Henderson: I agree with the right hon. and learned Gentleman's point, which is essentially the same as that of the hon. and learned Member for North-East Fife
(Mr. Campbell). The Government will take every action to try to push forward the peace process. I again refer to last week's important meetings between my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary and Mr. Netanyahu.
Mr. Mike Gapes (Ilford, South): Is the Minister aware that, over the past decade, hundreds of thousands of British people, including me, have visited Luxor without any threat to our lives, and that Egypt depends greatly on international tourism? Is he also aware that the domestic roots of Islamic terrorism go back many years and that it is a little glib to associate this incident simply with the current difficulties of the middle east peace process? Does he agree that it is not helpful to try to blame the Israeli Government, directly or indirectly, for the actions of a small group of fanatical terrorists who do not represent any large number of people in the middle east?
Mr. Henderson: I hope that my hon. Friend will agree that it is less important for us to attribute blame for inactivity in the peace process and more important for us to encourage the Israeli Government, Arab Governments and our Palestinian friends to push forward the process so that general tension is relaxed, enabling progress to be made towards a more permanent peace. That is the relevance of the current situation to the peace process.
Mr. Tony Baldry (Banbury): Does the Minister agree that it is important that responsibility for an atrocity of this type falls solely on those who caused it, not on anyone else? Will he acknowledge that the Foreign Office does all that is humanly possible to give the best possible travel advice, and that its advice is regarded throughout the world as of a very high quality, regularly updated?
When I had some responsibility for consular affairs in the Foreign Office in 1994, I visited Egypt to see what the Egyptian Government were doing to protect United Kingdom tourists. Does the Minister accept that it was obvious that the Government of Egypt were doing all that was possible to protect UK and other tourists? Does he agree that it is very important that we do not allow the people or the Government of Egypt to be isolated now? It is one of the terrorists' objectives to bring about such isolation, and if we allow the Government or the people of Egypt to be isolated or more isolated as a consequence of the tragedy, the terrorists will partly have succeeded.
Mr. Henderson:
It is clear from the response of the whole House, which I believe reflects the view in the country, that all of us want to do what we can to help the Egyptian Government to improve security, so that foreign tourists can travel in Egypt and relax. As I mentioned in my response to some other hon. Members, there is a constant dialogue with the Egyptian Government on such matters, and if there is any way in which we can help them to improve their security, we shall do so.
Mr. David Tredinnick (Bosworth):
Building on the point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-
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