Speeches by Kumaran.

“I want to go back a step on Sir John’s excellent questions about the British Council. I declare that it is headquartered in my constituency of Stratford and Bow; none the less, I would still be asking this. It brings in £5 for every £1 it receives from the Government. It is clearly a huge source of soft power and our p…”

“Is there a plan of action that perhaps it or the FCDO has to report back on so we can see the progress of this? We do not want it to go into further debt or decline.”

“I agree with my hon. and gallant Friend; he makes an important point, and I am sure the Minister will respond to it. I want to mention a few other constituents’ experiences. Jade contacted me to share her shock at witnessing a mother have her phone snatched while she was trying to buy shoes for her son. Matthew told me…”

“I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Brent East (Dawn Butler) for securing this important and timely debate. Seventeen years ago, I was a young Hutch to her Starsky, as a parliamentary staffer in the then constituency of Brent Central, so it is nice to speak in her debate today. Those of us who have had our mobile pho…”

“Stratford and Bow is a thriving hub of innovation, which is why the Prime Minister chose it for the launch of the AI opportunities action plan earlier this year. One brilliant example is Healthtech-1. Once a kitchen table start-up of doctors and tech experts, it now automates admin for 22% of GP practices, and its new …”

“The view is really clear from when we were there, even though for a short time. A lot of the Israeli people, the general public, are quite tired of the situation and they want this to end. A lot of them have real sympathy for the plight of the people in Gaza, including some of the hostage families we met who were worri…”

“Thank you, Mr Lapid. I do not know whether you will recall, but we had a chance meeting in Hostages Square when we were visiting earlier this year.”

“You said that it was good to see that Israelis have friends who are coming there to see the pain and the suffering. There are a lot of us around this table who have been asking the difficult questions for nearly a year now of how we get to a resolution to this bitter and painful war where there has been a lot of loss o…”

“It was the train.”

“Thank you, Mr Lapid, for your evidence today. You said that you wish for peace between the two peoples, as do we all, and I think so too do the rest of the world. To get there, we need to see this two‑state solution. It has been kicked down the road for quite a long time. The situation in Gaza is perilous. The h…”

“I declare that I used to work with one of the great parts of the United Nations: the climate action team, which does brilliant work. Sir Mark, you have spoken at length today about the role that we can play in international peace and security. Recently, given the global backdrop of multiple conflicts, there have been s…”

“Sorry, Chair; I know I said that was my last question. Sir Mark, do you think that it is actually in situations of war—matters of security—where the Secretary Council does not really work?”

“Thank you for your succinct answers. This is my last question. Article 99 has been used only six times since 1950. We have talked about that, but there is not just that—you have talked at length about the power of diplomacy and the other things that you can do when you come forward. We have heard powerful words from th…”

“Thinking of the current conflicts, I read that Brazil said last year that the Council is in paralysis in the face of humanitarian catastrophe, and it is not in the interest of the international community. That was when veto powers were used. You have been talking about veto powers. Only permanent members have the power…”

“Will the Foreign Secretary assure the House that while we all want to see urgent de-escalation, the escalating conflict in Iran will not take focus from the UK’s efforts to end the devastating war in Gaza, help the Palestinian people, free the hostages and lift restrictions on humanitarian and medical aid?”

“Yesterday I visited the Refugee Council, which is proudly headquartered in my constituency. From supporting those fleeing for their lives to finding employment for them, it is helping people rebuild and become part of the community in Stratford and Bow. The constituency is also home to other excellent organisations tha…”

“Thank you all for giving evidence today. It has been harrowing to listen, and I cannot imagine what it has been like for you on the ground. You have described the situation to do with the aid blockade, including of medical supplies. I have two related questions. First, if this blockade remains in place, what will happe…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Western. The hon. Member for Chester South and Eddisbury is my colleague and friend on the Foreign Affairs Committee, and I congratulate her on reintroducing this important Bill. I know that she is personally and professionally dedicated to this matter. Like many co…”

“Hello, I am Uma Kumaran, the Labour MP for Stratford and Bow, in London.”

“I echo the comments of my fellow Committee members: thank you all for taking so much time to meet with us. It is apt that you mention Ukrainian culture. I am really proud that in the constituency I represent in east London, we have the highest Ukrainian-born population in Britain, so I am well versed in Ukrainian cultu…”