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The Prime Minister: It is, of course, about those things, but the greater middle east initiative is not simply about democracy; it is also about fostering business investment and proper commercial and legal systems in the countries concerned. It is true that, ultimately, it is for people within to decide that they want democracy, but occasionally that can be helped from the outside and that is what we seek to do.

Mr. Clive Soley (Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush) (Lab): In relation to all those matters, but especially to the environment and world trade, which is now negotiated between trading blocs and large nations, did my right hon. Friend give any thought to how
 
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desperately seriously our influence would be undermined if we were no longer seen to be a committed member of the European Union?

The Prime Minister: I always give thought to that proposition and I believe that it is obviously right—the stronger and more influential we are in Europe, the easier it is to ensure that Europe speaks with one voice on those issues. Of course, the change in EU policy in relation to the trade round is a very important part of getting the trade round started again; it does not stop with Europe but it certainly must include Europe.

Keith Vaz (Leicester, East) (Lab): I welcome the presence at the summit of the seven Arab leaders, in particular with respect to Yemen; I know that the Prime Minister met the President of Yemen. The country has fought against terrorism but is still desperately poor. What financial support are the G8 proposing to give countries such as Yemen, and will my right hon. Friend ensure that that important initiative is continued and enhanced under the British chairmanship.

The Prime Minister: We will continue it and, I hope, build on it. A meeting of the Forum for the Future will take place in the middle east in the autumn. The idea will be that specific requests are made to us for help and assistance, some of which may be financial and some may be practical and political. It is worth pointing out that the one thing that is clear in the middle east today is that countries, whatever their background and history, recognise that extremist fanaticism based on a perversion of the true faith of Islam is the threat that they face in common and that they need to tackle it by a mixture of political and democratic reform, as well as economic reform. We should be prepared to help them in that, as the one thing I am sure of is that, whatever security measures we take, we will not be able to deal with the problem unless we also deal with its root causes.

Mr. Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow) (Lab): On the problems of Africa, was there any discussion at the G8 about increasing commitments to the global health fund and about specific assistance to the World Health Organisation, to ensure that its target of having 3 million people on antiretroviral drugs by 2005, which is only next year, is met?

The Prime Minister: Yes, there was a discussion about   that and we have recommitted ourselves to ensuring it. There was also recognition that we need better co-ordination of the global effort on HIV/AIDS, as many of the countries facing that crisis often have a range of different donors and the aid is not co-ordinated as it should be. We have agreed to take that forward in our chairmanship.

Mr. Michael Clapham (Barnsley, West and Penistone) (Lab): On the question of world stability and the connection with nuclear non-proliferation, does my right hon. Friend agree that there is a need for those countries in the G8 group that have nuclear weapons to reduce their arsenals? If there is failure in this respect, it could encourage those countries that have not yet got nuclear weapons to strive further to obtain nuclear weaponry. Will he say whether the discussions were
 
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extended to include a call for a ban on further nuclear testing and whether that would extend to the American testing of nuclear bunker-busting weapons?

The Prime Minister: This country is certainly a signatory to the relevant conventions, and we abide by them. There is a sense in which all of us want to see multilateral reductions in nuclear weapons, but I do not think that it is the existence of those nuclear weapons in the hands of the developed world that is the primary driver of this issue. I think that it has more to do with the regional position of particular countries, but it is a very serious question. It is important that we look particularly at how we can strengthen the International Atomic Energy Agency and the work that it does.

Mr. Parmjit Dhanda (Gloucester) (Lab): I welcome what my right hon. Friend has said about Iraqi debt relief, but will he impress as strongly as he can on both the French and Russian Governments the need to ensure that the level of debt relief is significant? At the moment, Iraq is burdened by about £120 billion worth of debt so, if the relief is significant, it will make a real difference to normal men, women and children in Iraq.

The Prime Minister: My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Everyone understands that it is important that we make progress, as the debts run up by Iraq were enormous and tragic. With its oil production, it is potentially a wealthy country. However, we are working hard on this issue with the other countries in the Paris Club.

Mr. Dennis Skinner (Bolsover) (Lab): Is the Prime Minister aware that the only way he can hand out money to Sudan—some £36 million—to Tanzania and to many other African countries and the 27 that he referred to is if we are running the economy and are not skint? That is the opposite of what it was many years ago when the Tory party was in power.

On the road map to peace, however, when the Prime Minister bumped into Chirac and Schröder at the G8, did he happen to talk about the road map to peace inside the European Union? First it was a constitution, then it went missing and then they brought it back again. Can I suggest that when he goes across there in the next couple of days, one of things that could be got out of the way—some things are difficult to shift—is that constitution? Tell them to bury it in the long grass—chuck it in the political dustbin. It is causing embarrassment. If they cannot get a road map to peace in the European Union, how can these big-wigs talk about peace in the middle east?

The Prime Minister: I will certainly bear that in mind.
 
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Orders of the Day

Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Bill [Lords]

[Relevant documents: The Third Report, HC 252, and the Fourth Report, HC 303, of Session 2003–04 from the Joint Committee on Human Rights, on the Committee's continuing scrutiny of Bills.]

Order for Second Reading read.

4.28 pm

The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. David Blunkett): I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time.

There has been a degree of unanimity and consensus around the proposals in the Bill which I strongly welcome and intend to foster this afternoon. I thank Members in all parties in the House and beyond for their support and co-operation and pay tribute to my ministerial colleagues in the Home Office team and to my right hon. and learned Friend the Solicitor-General for the tremendous work that they have done and will continue to do in a cross-party, no-party approach to the issue.

This debate follows the consultation paper and the statement earlier this year and the debate in the House of Lords. I am in a privileged position to be able to bring forward long overdue changes to put in place the biggest overhaul of domestic violence legislation in several decades and to be able to bring forward proposals and support for victims which, again, I think all of us agree are both justifiable and long overdue. That is part of a careful balance that we wish to develop to respond to major challenges and the unacceptable nature of past social norms. Such behaviour was tolerated in years gone by, often condoned, and certainly pushed under the carpet. At the same time, we must demand that people take responsibility for their actions and that peer groups, families and neighbourhoods are not tolerant of the intolerable.

Our Criminal Justice Acts, sentencing legislation and the Sexual Offences Act 2003 endeavour to put the victim first, thus changing the balance of the system in   favour of those who are most affected and putting law-abiding citizens at the forefront of what we are attempting to do. They also aim to change culture, so, as we said at the time of the consultation, young men should no longer think it acceptable to commit violence against women. As can be seen from recent surveys, women no longer think that it is tolerable to have the intolerable inflicted on them, yet they can be afraid to come forward, bear witness, and get something done about it.

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