Israel and Gaza 2023-11-20
2023-11-20
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
No specific background context provided for this question.
What steps he is taking to encourage de-escalation of the conflict in Israel and Gaza.
We are working with partners across the wider region, urging all sides to de-escalate tension, facilitate the supply of humanitarian aid, and tackle all forms of extremism.
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Assessment & feedback
Working With Partners
Urging
Response accuracy
Q2
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Context
No specific background context provided for this question.
There are thousands of orphans and displaced families amid an ongoing humanitarian catastrophe. What are the Government doing to ensure that unrestricted aid is reaching all the people who desperately need it, and, importantly, to ensure that Israel lifts the siege conditions?
As the hon. Lady will know, we are in favour of seeing pauses in the action. Some people, I know, call for a ceasefire, but I would point out that there was a ceasefire on 6 October; the problem is that it was broken by Hamas, who wrought this carnage on the middle east. We are doing everything possible to help get that aid in. With the Royal Navy taskforce, infantry, and other personnel in the region, we now have an uplift of about 600 personnel in the wider region, who are all helping to ensure that we get the aid in and across the border once we have got it to the region itself.
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Assessment & feedback
Pauses In The Action
Ceasefire
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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The geopolitical situation with Iran, Russia and China is increasing authoritarianism impacting on security and economy.
I welcome the Defence Secretary to his place. Behind Hamas, sits Iran; behind Iran, sits Russia; and, increasingly, behind Russia sits China. That is the geopolitical backdrop that will define the next decade, with growing authoritarianism impacting on our security and our economy. Is it now time to increase the defence budget to 3%?
My right hon. Friend will know that we have indeed pledged to increase defence spending to 2.5%, as economic conditions allow. This year, it will probably be around 2.4%, so we are making good progress.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not directly address the 3% budget request
Response accuracy
Q4
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The UK needs to utilise its capacity to help increase the quantity of aid reaching Gaza.
The reality is that neither the long-term security of Israel nor justice for the Palestinians will be found through bombs and bullets. As an international community, we need to be doing all we can to move to an enduring cessation of the violence, but while we are doing that, can the Secretary of State say how the UK armed forces will be utilising their capacity to help those getting aid into Gaza to get much bigger quantities in than is happening at the moment?
The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right about the UK's desire to do that, and I have talked about how we have deployed a large increase in personnel in the region to work with various Governments. I have personally spoken to most of the middle eastern Governments, and on those calls the first thing they have done is welcome our deterrent and the fact that we have brought such a large amount of aid—now £30 million—to help the Palestinians.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not directly address UK armed forces utilising their capacity for aid delivery to Gaza
Response accuracy
Q5
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There is a need to increase protection for UK personnel given rising attacks against US personnel.
After nearly three months, it is very good to finally welcome the Defence Secretary to the Dispatch Box for the first time. He reflects the deep concern about the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the risks of wider escalation. Labour totally condemns Hamas terrorism. We back Israel's right to defend itself, but require it to meet its duties under international law and lift the siege conditions, and we want to see the breaks in fighting extended to get much more aid in and the hostages out. We back the military deployments to the region to support wider security, but with attacks against US personnel rising, what action is the Defence Secretary taking to increase protection for UK personnel in the middle east?
First, Mr Speaker, it is good to be at the Dispatch Box opposite the right hon. Gentleman. I thank him, as well as yourself and others, for their condolences when I was not able to attend the first Defence questions. In terms of protecting our own personnel, I have asked the Chief of the Defence Staff to review their position.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide specific actions or timeline for increasing protection
Response accuracy
Q6
Partial Answer
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Context
There has been an international failure to pursue a Palestinian peace settlement and tackle the Hamas threat. Middle east escalation risks were not mentioned in the Government's defence Command Paper update.
Would the Defence Secretary agree that over the past decade, there has been an international failure to pursue a Palestinian peace settlement and tackle the Hamas threat? Middle east escalation risks were not mentioned in the Government's defence Command Paper update, nor were Hamas or Palestine. With threats increasing, is the Defence Secretary pursuing that defence plan in full, including further deep cuts to the British Army?
The right hon. Gentleman is right to say that nobody, including the Israelis, saw what Hamas were about to do coming. That points to the need for much greater surveillance, but also—much wider than that—the need to pursue the two-state solution, which is official British policy and is something that the world must do as this conflict, we hope, comes to an end.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not address pursuing the defence plan in full or deep cuts to the Army
Response accuracy