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COMMITTEES
Mr. Speaker: With the leave of the House, I shall put motions 11 to 14 together.
That David Wright be discharged from the Communities and Local Government Committee and Alison Seabeck be added.
That Mr Nigel Evans and Helen Southworth be discharged from the Culture, Media and Sport Committee and Mr Peter Ainsworth and Mr Tom Watson be added.
That John Bercow (elected Speaker) and Mr Stephen Crabb be discharged from the International Development Committee and Mr Mark Lancaster and Mr Nigel Evans be added.
That Mr George Mudie be discharged from the Treasury Committee and Mr James Plaskitt be added. -- ( Rosemary McKenna, on behalf of the Committee of Selection )
Petitions
Primary Education (Cheshire)
10.9 pm
Mr. Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury) (Con):
It is my privilege to present a petition gathered by residents and supporters in a village in my constituency called Farndon. It is only a small village, but a phenomenal proportion of its inhabitants have been secured as petitioners; there
are 1,063 signatures, which is testimony to their earnestness and the importance of the issue.
The Petition of residents in Farndon and its surrounding district in the Eddisbury parliamentary constituency in the county of Cheshire and those interested in the maintenance of primary education in Farndon,
Declares that the maintenance of primary education at Farndon school is vital for the interests of current and future pupils and is of crucial importance and benefit to the wider communities which it serves as an essential component of education in Cheshire; that the state of the buildings, classrooms and common facilities is wholly inadequate; that provision of suitable areas for recreation is in grave need of being made available, or brought up to standard to meet the needs of the children at the school; that the research in its design, costings and planning of the necessary improvements, as detailed in the school's feasibility plan, are well advanced and offer a best practice, value for money solution to the current deficit of provision; and that the education authority, Cheshire West and Chester council, provides the resources necessary to enable the school's feasibility plan to be put into effect.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families to take steps to promote the proposal to make adequate provision at Farndon primary school and to rededicate support for the continuing high quality education at this establishment.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.
Air Guns (Control)
10.11 pm
Norman Lamb (North Norfolk) (LD): This petition follows the shocking shooting of a dog belonging to the Currah family in my constituency. The dog was shot in their garden by a neighbour using an airgun. That caused horror locally and 3,800 people have signed the petition.
The Petition of residents of North Norfolk and others,
Declares the Petitioners' serious concern at the dangers posed to dogs, humans and other animals by the lack of controls over access to airguns; notes the distress that the loss of a beloved family pet can cause; expresses the Petitioners' sympathy with the Currah family; and considers that the lack of practical restrictions on the use and purchase of airguns needs to be urgently addressed.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to confirm they will take action to enforce the restrictions on the sale and use of airguns.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.
Taxis (Northamptonshire)
10.12 pm
Mr. Peter Bone (Wellingborough) (Con): If you are able to come to Wellingborough again, Mr. Speaker, and you arrive at Wellingborough station, you will undoubtedly get in an excellent taxi that is well driven and great value for money, but there is a problem at present as there are too many hackney carriage plates in Wellingborough. I have a petition that is signed by only 56 people, but they are 56 of the 61 hackney carriage plate owners in Wellingborough.
The Humble Petition of hackney carriage drivers and associates of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire and surrounding areas,
Sheweth that too many hackney carriage licence plates are being issued in the borough of Wellingborough and that this is
causing there to be a surplus of taxis which is stopping drivers making a livelihood and threatening the level of service provided to the public.
Wherefore your Petitioners pray that your Honourable House urges the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to direct the borough council of Wellingborough to suspend temporarily the issue of any more hackney carriage licence plates until it has carried out a demand survey; and that the suspension be kept until a clear public demand for more taxis has been established.
And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, &c.
Planning and Development (Essex)
10.13 pm
Bob Spink (Castle Point) (Ind): On 3 June, I formally objected to the location of a Sure Start centre at Jotmans hall school in Benfleet after residents told me of their anger at a hare-brained scheme being secretly pushed through and their disbelief at the failure of councillors to inform or consult them or to control properly the council's policies on such important matters, or even to be honest and transparent with them. I was not surprised, therefore, when I received a petition signed by many extremely decent people, each of whom care deeply about their community and environment and the safety of children at that school The petitioners are local residents who pay the council and councillors to protect them, not harm them.
The Petition of John Hogarth, parents of Jotmans hall school, local residents and others,
Declares that the proposed development of a Sure Start centre at Jotmans hall school in Benfleet should be rejected because building the centre at that school would bring unacceptable problems including: compromising security for young children and the school buildings, including late at night and at weekends; destroying valuable green belt land and playing fields; wasting a vast amount of public money; increasing parking problems for school users and residents; and imposing highway safety dangers; further declares that the councils are pushing ahead with this plan because if they switch to other much more appropriate sites, they could lose their £500,000 budget for the project and that this demonstrates a cavalier approach by the councils to the management of public funds.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to encourage Essex county council and the Castle Point borough council to consider this objection and Petition and to reject the Jotmans hall site and to co-operate together in investigating more suitable sites, and to do this with public transparency and to undertake fully public consultation on any sites which are thought may be suitable.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.
"The Spirit of Humanity"
Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn. -(Mary Creagh.)
10.16 pm
Emily Thornberry (Islington, South and Finsbury) (Lab): "The Spirit of Humanity" sailed from Larnaca, Cyprus at the end of June, attempting to get to Gaza seaport and sailing under a Greek flag. There were 21 passengers and crew on board, from 11 different countries, including six British people. One of these last was my constituent, Miss Alex Harrison, who lives on the Marquess estate. In the early hours of 30 June, while they were still in international waters, they were surrounded by Israeli gunboats and threatened with being fired on. Their radar and communications systems were jammed and they were warned hourly that they must change course because, "You are headed for a blockaded area. All force necessary will be used." Lights were flashed at them throughout the night and, when they were 24 miles from Gaza, Zodiac boats appeared and then left again.
About four miles into Gaza's waters, the boats reappeared-six boats with 12 soldiers in each, wearing full-face balaclavas. They boarded the boat and all the passengers lay on the floor. My constituent, as a member of the crew, was still standing and was pushed to the floor at gunpoint.
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington, North) (Lab): I am pleased that my hon. Friend has secured this debate. Can she confirm that what the Israeli navy was doing at that point was totally illegal under international law? It was stopping an unarmed civilian vessel that was well known to be carrying humanitarian aid, and that is a contravention of international law.
Emily Thornberry: It would seem that that is the case, and I shall ask the Minister to confirm that.
It took seven hours for the boat to get into the port of Ashdod, where those on board were greeted by hundreds of jeering Israeli soldiers. The crew and passengers were held for between one and seven days, charged with illegally entering Israel and deported. That was ironic, because Israel was the last place they wanted to be. They wanted to go to Gaza-and Gaza as part of a Palestinian state. They were trying to publicise what has been happening in Gaza recently, and I shall outline some of those events.
As hon. Members know, Gaza is a small coastal strip, cut off from the outside world. Even before the latest hostilities, drastic restrictions on the movement of people and goods were imposed by the Israeli authorities, especially since October 2007. Those have led to worsening poverty, rising unemployment and deteriorating public services such as health care, water and sanitation.
When the eyes of the world were on Gaza, in the immediate aftermath of the military action by Israel, it was hoped that the tunnels would be closed and the crossings would be opened, and that Gaza might have a chance. However, six months later, after the hostilities had finished and the eyes of the world had looked away, restrictions on imports continued. It is impossible for Gazans to rebuild their lives. The quantities of goods now entering Gaza fall well short of what is required to meet the population's needs. According to the International
Red Cross, in May 2009, only 2,662 truckloads of goods entered Gaza from Israel, a decrease of almost 80 per cent. compared with the 11,392 truckloads allowed in during April 2007 before Hamas took over the territory.
Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak) (Lab): In fairness, I think that the Israeli Government's stance should be expressed. I wrote to them about what had happened with "The Spirit of Humanity". They wrote back and told me that receipt of humanitarian supplies, in some cases, has led to a surplus of humanitarian aid. Does my hon. Friend recognise that situation?
Emily Thornberry: I rely on the International Committee of the Red Cross and its excellent report, published in June, which gives an up-to-date assessment of what is happening in Gaza. Of course, it is always difficult to get access to information on which everyone can rely, but surely no one can argue with the ICRC on the issue. For example, it states that
"water and sanitation services could collapse at any moment"
"raises the spectre of a major public health crisis."
"The only way to address this crisis is to lift import restrictions on spare parts, water pipes and building materials such as cement and steel so that homes can be rebuilt and vital infrastructure maintained and upgraded."
Terrible stories are coming out about health care. One of the people suffering as a result of the restrictions is a woman whose case is highlighted by the ICRC, who has a pancreatic tumour. She is only 26, her name is Do'aa, and she has been waiting since January 2009 for permission to travel through Israel to get to Jordan for an operation. She has so far been refused, and she is likely to die.
Those who wish to get out of Gaza in order to get health care, because there is not sufficient and adequate health care in Gaza for those who have terrible conditions, find themselves caught in a bureaucratic maze. They request permission to leave the territory, which is incredibly complicated, and they find themselves waiting for many months. Many of them die. For those who do get permission to leave, even getting through the crossing can be very arduous. Patients on life support machines are
"removed from ambulances and placed on stretchers, then carried 60-80 metres through the crossing to ambulances waiting on the other side."
Patients who can walk unassisted often
"face extensive questioning before they are allowed through the crossing for medical treatment-or, as sometimes happens"
they are simply refused entry into Israel and turned back again.
The economy is strangled; there is soaring unemployment and alarming poverty. We simply have to allow Gaza to breathe. Local industry, agriculture, fisheries and other businesses have not been allowed to rebuild, to import essential inputs or to export their products, but even that would take time. The crisis has become so severe and entrenched that even if all the crossings were to be opened tomorrow it would take years for the economy to recover.
We must end the virtual blockade of Gaza. The crossing points must be opened and the legitimate security concerns of the Israelis have to be balanced with the right of Palestinians to live normal and dignified lives. Re-establishing humanitarian aid is really only the international community pleading to be allowed to put sticking plasters on to Gaza. What the people of the region need, more than anything else, is political courage. They need a political solution that will give peace and security to the people of Israel and Palestine.
Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton) (Lab): My hon. Friend is describing an intolerable situation perpetrated by the Israeli state. Is it not a fact that her constituent and mine, who were on board "The Spirit of Humanity", were trying to alleviate that inhumanity but were the victims first of piracy by the Israeli navy and then kidnapping by the Israeli army?
Emily Thornberry: Again, on the face of it that would seem to be accurate. I would welcome the Minister's comments on that point. Will he give me an update on whether Her Majesty's Government agree that those people were, at the very least, harassed in international waters? Given the wholly disproportionate nature of the Israeli military operation in Gaza in January, will the Government reassess whether it is appropriate to sell arms to or buy arms from Israel? Finally, what hope is there for Gaza?
10.24 pm
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Ivan Lewis): I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Emily Thornberry) on securing this debate. She is obviously concerned about the fact that her constituent, Miss Alex Harrison, was on the "Spirit of Humanity" when these incidents occurred. It is important to say that helping to alleviate the humanitarian situation in Gaza is a high priority for the Government; equally important is working towards a long-term, sustainable and peaceful settlement in the middle east.
I want to provide an update regarding the vessel "Spirit of Humanity", which the Free Gaza Movement non-governmental organisation, as my hon. Friend has said, attempted to sail from Cyprus to Gaza. The UK appreciates and shares the concerns expressed by many individuals and organisations, including the Free Gaza Movement, about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Current travel advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises clearly against all travel to Gaza, including to the waters off Gaza, but we recognise that there is a need for access by major international organisations, including those based in the UK, to carry out humanitarian and reconstruction work in Gaza and to engage in the independent reporting on, and verification of, the situation on the ground.
Martin Linton (Battersea) (Lab): I am glad that my hon. Friend says that the Government share the concern of such bodies about what has happened to the "Spirit of Humanity", but will he not go further and say that it is an example of the way in which the Israeli Government believe that they have some kind of dispensation to flout international law, not only by harassing ships in international waters but by building settlements and walls on occupied land and by blockading people in Gaza?
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