Speeches by Dodds.

“We are not talking about a reclassification. We are not talking about a change to the rules. We are determined to make sure that we meet our commitments around this. Just to go back to the point again, I was trying to underline that the impact of the climate crisis now on people’s life circumstances is so intense that …”

“That can be a quick answer, because we are determined to ratify. We are moving forward at pace. Of course, quite a lot of technical work needs to be undertaken, but we are really determined to ratify as soon as possible. It is of great importance, both to me as the Development Minister and to the Foreign Secretary.”

“You can push me. You will not get one, but that is not because we are not working at pace and really hard on this. We have been liaising really intensively with our DEFRA colleagues on this. They want to move forward on this as quickly as possible. I know that it is a real priority, certainly for this Government, but i…”

“I know that Lord Collins, the Minister for Africa, has visited Rwanda. He has visited Angola and DRC as well. It is extremely concerning to see the situation that has developed within DRC, of course. I have been seeking to ensure that our development spending, wherever it is in the world, delivers on our objectives and…”

“It has been a real pleasure and I really did genuinely appreciate the engagement of the Committee before I went to the West Bank previously. It has been wonderful to have this conversation now. I know this Committee has so much development expertise within its ranks, as well as expertise from the forces and lots of oth…”

“We are aware that the situation is incredibly complex, and a large number of armed groups, with a variety of different affiliations, are involved. In that context, the most critical issue for the UK Government is that civilians are protected. My goodness, they suffered enough under Assad, and now, with the fall of Assa…”

“My hon. Friend raises an issue that could not be more important. When we talk about arrangements being inclusive, comprehensive and representative, that must include arrangements for the 51% of the population who are women. We must also see that girls, as well as women, are protected. When we looked at the previous hum…”

“I covered the nature of the UK’s engagement with HTS both in my statement and in my answers. Of course, it is critical that the UK is clear about the need for a future political settlement to be comprehensive and inclusive, and it must include both ethnic and religious minorities. The right hon. Gentleman talks about t…”

“Yes, I can reassure my hon. Friend on that. It is important for us to understand the situation in many countries in the region. Jordan has a very large proportion of Palestinian refugees, and also has many Syrian refugees. I had the absolute privilege of meeting some of them when I visited the Zaatari camp in Jordan. T…”

“I am grateful to the right hon. Lady for her comments. She has raised a number of issues, with which I will deal in turn. First, she asked about the UK’s engagement with HTS. I did talk about that in my statement, but I can provide additional information. It is clear that the fact that HTS is a proscribed terrorist gro…”

“I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for all his work over many years on these and associated issues. He talked about the complex situation that faces us now. As many have reflected, there is relief at seeing the fall of such a dreadful dictator but concern about what may come next. As I have mentioned, the UK Governmen…”

“I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for raising these issues. I briefly mentioned that the UK has been in contact with Türkiye and the Syrian Democratic Forces since the start of this escalation. As he will be aware, there is a US-brokered ceasefire, and it has to be held to. We have been very clear with all sides that…”

“With permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I will make a statement about the current situation in Syria. Ten days have passed since Assad’s departure. The Government welcomed the fall of his cruel and barbaric regime, and the opportunity it offers for Syrians. However, while there is some cause for celebration, fighting an…”

“Of course we will seek to use every lever in that respect, because it is the position of this Government that all civilians must be protected, and that includes civilians who form part of religious and ethnic minorities. We have also made it very clear that, as I mentioned a few moments ago, the political process must …”

“I am grateful to the hon. Member for his remarks, and I agree with the way in which he described the current situation. There is no question but that many Syrians felt an enormous sense of relief at the end of such a murderous and brutal regime, but there is deep concern about what will come now. The UK is determined t…”

“I am very grateful to my hon. Friend for raising those points. He mentions the terrible use of chemical weapons within Syria. The new Government are deeply concerned about their previous use, but we also want to ensure that they can never be used again on a civilian population. We note HTS’s statement that it will prot…”

“I am very grateful to the right hon. Member for his question. I am sure that he will understand —indeed, he has followed these issues for many years—that the UK’s sanctions regime is continuously kept under review. The UK has been determined to ensure that where we can use sanctions in order to ensure that there is acc…”

“I am very grateful to my hon. Friend for raising the critical need for an international process, and the need for continuation of the engagement that we have seen in recent days—first, with Arab countries coming together, and then engagement by the EU, US, UK and others. I want to underline my hon. Friend’s point about…”

“Sadly, it is very clear that under Assad, we did not see a justice system that was focused on criminal justice and on providing proper accountability. Instead, there was a vast number of political prisoners, and extensive and extremely deep persecution focused on the needs of the regime. Of course, there must be change…”

“I will try to answer the hon. Member’s four questions as quickly as possible, so that others can speak. First, there were already tough sanctions in place against the Assad regime—against 310 individuals and 74 linked entities. As I mentioned, this Government will keep all evidence and potential designations under clos…”