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Answering member
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Ivan Lewis
Type
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Lewis, Ivan (89)
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To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the state of UK relations with Iran; what plans he has for the future of UK-Iran relations; and if he will make a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the state of UK relations with Iran; what plans he has for the future of UK-Iran relations; and if he will make a statement.
Asked by
Robert N Wareing
(Independent (affiliation))
Answered by
Ivan Lewis
(Labour)
Answering body
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
23 March 2010
For answer on
29 March 2010
Answered on
29 March 2010
UK-Iran relations are hindered by the Iranian authorities' harassment of our embassy in Tehran and their insistence on blaming the UK for all of Iran's problems. We will continue to seek to engage the Iranian authorities on the many important issues of concern, including Iran's nuclear programme, human rights abuses and restrictions on civil liberties, and Iran's role in the region. We will also continue to press for a satisfactory resolution to the bilateral issues between us, including the arrest of embassy staff in Tehran.
Subjects
Foreign relations; Iran
Date
29 March 2010
Reference
508 c648W; 324642
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he is having with his international counterparts on Iran's nuclear ambitions and capability.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he is having with his international counterparts on Iran's nuclear ambitions and capability.
Asked by
Gregory Campbell
(Democratic Unionist Party)
Answered by
Ivan Lewis
(Labour)
Answering body
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
17 March 2010
For answer on
22 March 2010
Answered on
22 March 2010
Addressing Iran's nuclear ambitions and capability is one of the UK's top foreign policy concerns, and others in the international community share this assessment. Iran must restore the international community's confidence in its nuclear programme. I discuss the issue with international counterparts regularly. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the importance of the dual track approach of engagement and pressure with Foreign Minister Yang, State Councillor Dai and Premier Wen in Beijing on 16 March.
Subjects
Nuclear power; Iran
Date
22 March 2010
Reference
508 c114W; 323501
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the development of Iran's nuclear programme; and if he will make a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the development of Iran's nuclear programme; and if he will make a statement.
Asked by
David Amess
(Conservative)
Answered by
Ivan Lewis
(Labour)
Answering body
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
16 March 2010
For answer on
18 March 2010
Answered on
18 March 2010
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General's 18 February report outlines why we have serious concerns with regards to Iran's nuclear programme. Iran continues to stockpile enriched uranium and develop heavy water projects in defiance of UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs). Iran has gone further and has announced its intention to build more enrichment plants and begun some enrichment to higher levels (20 per cent. U-235) despite the IAEA asking for sufficient time to install safeguards measures. Most importantly I share the IAEA's concerns about the possible existence in Iran of past or current undisclosed activities related to the development of a nuclear payload for a missile. Iran must either comply with UNSCRs and co-operate with the IAEA, or face further sanctions.
Subjects
Nuclear power; Iran
Date
18 March 2010
Reference
507 c972-3W; 323132
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the government of Iraq on the situation in Camp Ashraf; and if he will take steps to ensure that residents of Camp Ashraf are not driven from Iraq.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the government of Iraq on the situation in Camp Ashraf; and if he will take steps to ensure that residents of Camp Ashraf are not driven from Iraq.
Asked by
David Drew
(Labour; Co-operative Party)
Answered by
Ivan Lewis
(Labour)
Answering body
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
9 March 2010
For answer on
11 March 2010
Answered on
16 March 2010
We have discussed the situation at Camp Ashraf with the Iraqi Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, the Human Rights Minister, the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Iraqi Government's Ashraf Committee. I met the Iraqi Foreign Minister in Baghdad in December 2009 and underlined the need for the Iraqi authorities to deal with the residents of Camp Ashraf in a way that meets international humanitarian standards. In addition we discuss the issue with the UN, US, and the EU.The Iraqi authorities have told the residents that they can no longer stay at Camp Ashraf but has given assurances that no residents will be forcibly transferred to a country where they have reason to fear persecution, or where substantial grounds exist to believe they would be tortured. The Iraqi Human Rights Minister confirmed to our ambassador on 27 January 2010 that the Government of Iraq would deal with the residents of the camp with respect for their human rights in co-operation with the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross. We believe it is in the interests of the residents to respect and accept the decision made by the Government of Iraq, and to cooperate peacefully with the Iraqi authorities.
Subjects
Human rights; Iraq; Iran
Date
16 March 2010
Reference
507 c787W; 322053
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the human rights situation of Jewish people in Iran since October 2009; and if he will make a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the human rights situation of Jewish people in Iran since October 2009; and if he will make a statement.
Asked by
David Amess
(Conservative)
Answered by
Ivan Lewis
(Labour)
Answering body
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
9 March 2010
For answer on
11 March 2010
Answered on
16 March 2010
Jews are one of three religious minorities, alongside Christians and Zoroastrians, which are constitutionally permitted to practise their religious faith in Iran. In reality however, they cannot hold positions in the judiciary, police and security forces, limiting the role they are permitted to play in public life. Although Jews have enjoyed a relative degree of freedom to practise their religion, including the use of Hebrew for religious instruction, they face various limitations on their rights to travel and to communicate with Jewish communities outside Iran, especially in Israel.Iran's anti-Israel policy continues to create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation among Iran's Jews, and this fear has been propagated by President Ahmadinejad's repeated denial of the Holocaust, anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli propaganda in the media. The Government have raised concerns over the treatment of Iran's religious minorities on many occasions with the Iranian authorities, calling on the Iranian authorities to uphold their international legal undertakings to safeguard religious freedom and to stop discrimination and persecution on the grounds of religion.
Subjects
Religious freedom; Iran
Date
16 March 2010
Reference
507 c787W; 321839
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take to seek to ensure that Iran complies with international human rights conventions and laws.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take to seek to ensure that Iran complies with international human rights conventions and laws.
Asked by
Peter Robinson
(Democratic Unionist Party)
Answered by
Ivan Lewis
(Labour)
Answering body
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
3 March 2010
For answer on
8 March 2010
Answered on
8 March 2010
It is clear that the people of Iran are leading the charge for human rights and democracy, however they need to know that their calls for basic rights and freedoms are supported by the international community. The Iranian Government have a duty to ensure that their actions live up to the human rights standards to which it has committed. The United Kingdom was one of many UN member states to draw attention to the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran during its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva on 15 February. The HRC is currently in session in Geneva, and we are seeking every opportunity to draw attention to the situation in Iran, both nationally and as the EU. My noble Friend Baroness Kinnock raised our concerns when addressing the Council on 2 March and we did so again in our response to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on 4 March.We raised concerns with the Iranian authorities on at least 70 occasions last year, either bilaterally or through the EU and UN. We will continue to work hard alongside partners, international Non-governmental organisations and civil society to ensure that the Iranian regime is held to account over its appalling human rights record.
Subjects
Human rights; Iran
Date
8 March 2010
Reference
507 c29-30W; 321166
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the number of opposition figures (a) imprisoned and (b) executed in Iran since the most recent presidential election.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the number of opposition figures (a) imprisoned and (b) executed in Iran since the most recent presidential election.
Asked by
Peter Robinson
(Democratic Unionist Party)
Answered by
Ivan Lewis
(Labour)
Answering body
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
3 March 2010
For answer on
8 March 2010
Answered on
8 March 2010
While there are no official figures available on the numbers of opposition figures imprisoned since the June 2009 election, international estimates broadly agree that around 3,000 individuals have been arrested. Many have subsequently been released; however others remain in detention or have stood trial. We are concerned that the whereabouts of many more remains unknown.We cannot confirm that any opposition figures have been executed for involvement in the post-election unrest, however we are concerned that a number of individuals have been sentenced to death in televised show-trials which fell far short of international standards guaranteeing the right to a fair trial. On 28 January Iran executed Arash Rahmanipour and Mohammad Reza Ali-Zamani; both were sentenced to death for "enmity against God" following prosecution at show trials.
Subjects
Human rights; Iran
Date
8 March 2010
Reference
507 c29W; 321165
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the imprisonment of Behzad Nabavi; and what his most recent assessment is of levels of political and civil freedom in Iran.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the imprisonment of Behzad Nabavi; and what his most recent assessment is of levels of political and civil freedom in Iran.
Asked by
Peter Robinson
(Democratic Unionist Party)
Answered by
Ivan Lewis
(Labour)
Answering body
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
3 March 2010
For answer on
8 March 2010
Answered on
8 March 2010
Former Member of Parliament and Minister, Behzad Nabavi, was one of several notable figures arrested on 16 June 2009 following the disputed presidential elections in Iran. The EU raised concerns about these detentions on 3 August with the Iranian authorities in Tehran, and again in a declaration on 23 October. On 9 February Nabavi was sentenced to five years imprisonment for his role in the post election unrest. The Iranian authorities continue to suppress legitimate protest, restrict civil and political liberties and use the threat of violence, and even execution, to silence dissent. Despite this many brave Iranians continue to demand their fundamental rights. We urge the Iranian authorities to heed their citizens' calls, and to release all individuals detained for political offences.
Subjects
Human rights; Iran
Date
8 March 2010
Reference
507 c29W; 321163
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's latest assessment is of Iran's nuclear capabilities.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's latest assessment is of Iran's nuclear capabilities.
Asked by
Peter Robinson
(Democratic Unionist Party)
Answered by
Ivan Lewis
(Labour)
Answering body
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
3 March 2010
For answer on
8 March 2010
Answered on
8 March 2010
The latest Iran report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General highlights that Iran has increased its stockpile of low enriched uranium to 2,065 kg in defiance of UN Security Council Resolutions; is starting to enrich to higher levels when there is no civilian purpose and has announced plans for 10 new enrichment plants. Iran's refusal to answer questions about possible military dimensions to its programme leads the IAEA to express concern about development of a nuclear payload.
Subjects
Nuclear power; Iran
Date
8 March 2010
Reference
507 c30W; 321164
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the extent to which the outputs of (a) BBC Persian TV and (b) other international broadcasters are jammed by the Iranian Government; what assessment he has made of the compatibility of such...
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the extent to which the outputs of (a) BBC Persian TV and (b) other international broadcasters are jammed by the Iranian Government; what assessment he has made of the compatibility of such...
Asked by
Lembit Opik
(Liberal Democrat)
Answered by
Ivan Lewis
(Labour)
Answering body
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
26 February 2010
For answer on
2 March 2010
Answered on
4 March 2010
We are aware that BBC Persian TV and other international broadcasters have been severely disrupted by jamming signals originating from inside Iran. We support the European Parliament's resolution of 10 February which condemned the Iranian authorities' efforts to disrupt media services in breach of their International Telecommunications Union (ITU) obligations. We are continuing to liaise closely with international partners, the ITU and the BBC World Service to seek a resolution to the issue.
Subjects
Broadcasting; Censorship; Iran
Date
4 March 2010
Reference
506 c1306W; 320170
House
House of Commons
Westminster Hall debate on global security (non-proliferation) on a motion for the adjournment.
Westminster Hall debate on global security (non-proliferation) on a motion for the adjournment.
Lead member
Mike Gapes
Answering member
Ivan Lewis
Department
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Type
Adjournment debates
Subjects
Decommissioning; Arms control; Nuclear weapons; Nuclear disarmament; Pakistan; Proliferation; Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; Testing; USA; Russia; Israel; Iran; Middle East; Peace negotiations; North Korea; Trident
Date
4 March 2010
Reference
506 c325-52WH
Chamber / Committee
Westminster Hall
House
House of Commons
My hon. Friend makes an important point. Every UN resolution on the question of Iran's nuclear weapons capacity that has been proposed and passed talks about a middle east that is free of nuclear weapons. As a result, it is simply untrue for the Iranians to say, as they sometimes attempt to do, that we are not playing on a level playing field when it comes to our response to their nuclear weapons capacity. We should remember that this is not just about the threat to the stability of the middle east that would be posed by Iran developing nuclear weapons. The arms race that would be triggered in the region would be like nothing we have ever seen before, and that is why it is so crucial that we stop Iran developing nuclear weapons.
My hon. Friend makes an important point. Every UN resolution on the question of Iran's nuclear weapons capacity that has been proposed and passed talks about a middle east that is free of nuclear weapons. As a result, it is simply untrue for the Iranians to say, as they sometimes attempt to do, that we are not playing on a level playing field when it comes to our response to their nuclear weapons capacity. We should remember that this is not just about the threat to the stability of the middle east that would be posed by Iran developing nuclear weapons. The arms race that would be triggered in the region would be like nothing we have ever seen before, and that is why it is so crucial that we stop Iran developing nuclear weapons.
Answered by
Ivan Lewis
(Labour)
Asked by
Jeremy Corbyn
(Labour)
Answering body
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Type
Oral answers to questions
I thank the Minister for what he said about human rights in Iran and I agree with him on that. Will he look forward to the non-proliferation treaty review in May and extend efforts to create a nuclear-free middle east? That would help to defuse the situation and bring Israel into discussions about nuclear disarmament, which in turn would remove any arguments that could be used in favour of developing nuclear weapons in the region.
Subjects
Politics and government; Iran
Date
2 March 2010
Reference
506 c792
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
Iranian authorities continue to suppress legitimate protest, restrict civil liberties and threaten violence, even execution, to silence dissent, but the Iranian people continue to demand their fundamental rights. We urge the authorities to respect the right of their citizens to be heard.
Iranian authorities continue to suppress legitimate protest, restrict civil liberties and threaten violence, even execution, to silence dissent, but the Iranian people continue to demand their fundamental rights. We urge the authorities to respect the right of their citizens to be heard.
Answered by
Ivan Lewis
(Labour)
Asked by
David Amess
(Conservative)
Answering body
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Type
Oral answers to questions
What recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Iran; and if he will make a statement.
Subjects
Politics and government; Iran
Date
2 March 2010
Reference
506 c791
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
This has been discussed in the IAEA only this week. It is a serious escalation of the situation that should give the international community more cause for concern. As the right hon. and learned Gentleman is fully aware, it is essential that we achieve international unity over the next stage, which is adopting economic sanctions, especially against the decision makers in the regime. We have seen no attempt by the Iranian authorities to respond positively to our requests for diplomatic and political solutions. The door remains open, but we have no choice now but to consider economic sanctions.
This has been discussed in the IAEA only this week. It is a serious escalation of the situation that should give the international community more cause for concern. As the right hon. and learned Gentleman is fully aware, it is essential that we achieve international unity over the next stage, which is adopting economic sanctions, especially against the decision makers in the regime. We have seen no attempt by the Iranian authorities to respond positively to our requests for diplomatic and political solutions. The door remains open, but we have no choice now but to consider economic sanctions.
Answered by
Ivan Lewis
(Labour)
Asked by
Malcolm Rifkind
(Conservative)
Answering body
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Type
Oral answers to questions
Is the Minister aware that on 14 February, in the presence of representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Iranian authorities transferred almost their total supply of low-enriched uranium from a deeply protected underground facility to a surface plant, for no obvious reason? Does the Foreign Office have a view about why that might have happened, particularly as it makes the country's very valuable enriched uranium far more vulnerable to possible military action?
Subjects
Politics and government; Iran
Date
2 March 2010
Reference
506 c792
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
We are leading the argument at the UN and in the EU. We are using our bilateral relations to encourage countries with influence over less supportive countries to move immediately to sanctions; we are using all those diplomatic channels, from the Prime Minister downwards. As I said, speed matters and the urgency of the message to the Iranian Government is important, but so is maximum international unity if they are to take that message seriously.
We are leading the argument at the UN and in the EU. We are using our bilateral relations to encourage countries with influence over less supportive countries to move immediately to sanctions; we are using all those diplomatic channels, from the Prime Minister downwards. As I said, speed matters and the urgency of the message to the Iranian Government is important, but so is maximum international unity if they are to take that message seriously.
Answered by
Ivan Lewis
(Labour)
Asked by
Lord Hague of Richmond
(Conservative)
Answering body
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Type
Oral answers to questions
It is of course vital to have that unity, but there must also be a necessary sense of urgency. Will the Minister set out what the British Government are doing diplomatically to ensure that other nations in Europe and around the world are ready to co-ordinate tighter sanctions, if necessary on top of and in addition to what is agreed eventually at the UN Security Council? That could include action against the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, as well as tough financial sanctions and targeted action against the Iranian leadership. Is it not time to step up our diplomatic efforts on this matter, if Iran is to take our resolve seriously?
Subjects
Politics and government; Iran
Date
2 March 2010
Reference
506 c793
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
What recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Iran; and if he will make a statement.
What recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Iran; and if he will make a statement.
Asked by
David Amess
(Conservative)
Answered by
Ivan Lewis
(Labour)
Answering body
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Oral questions - Lead
Status
Answered
Tabled on
24 February 2010
For answer on
2 March 2010
Answered on
2 March 2010
Iranian authorities continue to suppress legitimate protest, restrict civil liberties and threaten violence, even execution, to silence dissent, but the Iranian people continue to demand their fundamental rights. We urge the authorities to respect the right of their citizens to be heard.
Subjects
Politics and government; Iran
Date
2 March 2010
Reference
506 c791; 319393
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
We have had those discussions with Russia, but not with the Shanghai organisation to which my hon. Friend refers.
We have had those discussions with Russia, but not with the Shanghai organisation to which my hon. Friend refers.
Answered by
Ivan Lewis
(Labour)
Asked by
Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston
(Labour)
Answering body
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Type
Oral answers to questions
Has the Minister had any discussions with representatives from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which involves Russia, China, India and Pakistan among others, to see whether it can exert pressure on the Iranians to cease their nuclear installation programme?
Subjects
Politics and government; Iran
Date
2 March 2010
Reference
506 c792
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
Modifying statements made by the Foreign Secretary is not a good career move from my point of view—[Interruption.] Not everyone agrees, necessarily. I genuinely think that the right hon. Gentleman and I are in agreement on these issues. Of course speed is important, and it is urgent that we send the strongest possible message to the Iranians, but he would agree that unity matters too. If the Iranians spot any sense of division in the international community, that could undermine the power of our message. It is worth waiting those few extra weeks if it means that we can achieve the maximum international support that we need if we are take the further economic sanctions that are so crucial.
Modifying statements made by the Foreign Secretary is not a good career move from my point of view—[Interruption.] Not everyone agrees, necessarily. I genuinely think that the right hon. Gentleman and I are in agreement on these issues. Of course speed is important, and it is urgent that we send the strongest possible message to the Iranians, but he would agree that unity matters too. If the Iranians spot any sense of division in the international community, that could undermine the power of our message. It is worth waiting those few extra weeks if it means that we can achieve the maximum international support that we need if we are take the further economic sanctions that are so crucial.
Answered by
Ivan Lewis
(Labour)
Asked by
Lord Hague of Richmond
(Conservative)
Answering body
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Type
Oral answers to questions
At the last Foreign Office questions, the Foreign Secretary assured the House that it would not take "several months" for new UN sanctions on Iran to be agreed. That was in January; it is now March, and the US Secretary of State has said that it may take up to two months more for those sanctions to be agreed. Does he need to modify in any way what Ministers have said about that, and should we not now be galvanised, for some of the reasons that the Minister has set out, into urgently adopting new sanctions? The latest IAEA report says that Iran has amassed a dangerous stockpile of enriched uranium, and that it may be working on a nuclear warhead and have secret nuclear sites.
Subjects
Politics and government; Iran
Date
2 March 2010
Reference
506 c792-3
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to raise the issue at this time. Amnesty International says that it is the worst human rights situation for 20 years. The way in which the Iranian authorities attempted to quell protests during the national day celebrations has rightly been described as""a chilling campaign of threats and intimidation"."
We, in the context of the European Union and with our allies in the United Nations and the United States, constantly apply pressure to the Iranians about their human rights record and their nuclear file.
Frankly, we have reached out an olive branch to Iran. We have offered a diplomatic and political way forward but, instead of getting a positive response, we have seen a deterioration in internal human rights there. In addition, Iran has not co-operated in meeting its responsibilities under international obligations with regard to its nuclear weapons capacity. That is why we now believe that the only way forward is to consider tougher economic sanctions against Iran.
The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to raise the issue at this time. Amnesty International says that it is the worst human rights situation for 20 years. The way in which the Iranian authorities attempted to quell protests during the national day celebrations has rightly been described as""a chilling campaign of threats and intimidation"."
We, in the context of the European Union and with our allies in the United Nations and the United States, constantly apply pressure to the Iranians about their human rights record and their nuclear file.
Frankly, we have reached out an olive branch to Iran. We have offered a diplomatic and political way forward but, instead of getting a positive response, we have seen a deterioration in internal human rights there. In addition, Iran has not co-operated in meeting its responsibilities under international obligations with regard to its nuclear weapons capacity. That is why we now believe that the only way forward is to consider tougher economic sanctions against Iran.
Answered by
Ivan Lewis
(Labour)
Asked by
David Amess
(Conservative)
Answering body
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Type
Oral answers to questions
Efforts for peaceful regime change seem to have stalled at the moment, but the Iranian President continues with his development of nuclear weapons and his hatred of Israel. Will the Minister tell the House what specific pressure is being put on the Iranian regime to improve its human rights record?
Subjects
Politics and government; Iran
Date
2 March 2010
Reference
506 c791-2
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
I have a massive amount of respect for my hon. Friend, but he does himself a disservice by sending that kind of message from the House to the Iranian Government. Let me make the position clear. Of course, Iran's development of nuclear weapons is a threat to stability in the middle east, but it would also trigger an arms race the likes of which we have never seen before among Iran's neighbours. In a year in which the world is seeking to make progress on non-proliferation in the review of the non-proliferation treaty, this is about the threat that Iran would pose to our national security and that of countries in the region, but it is also about the arms race that it would inevitably trigger.
I have a massive amount of respect for my hon. Friend, but he does himself a disservice by sending that kind of message from the House to the Iranian Government. Let me make the position clear. Of course, Iran's development of nuclear weapons is a threat to stability in the middle east, but it would also trigger an arms race the likes of which we have never seen before among Iran's neighbours. In a year in which the world is seeking to make progress on non-proliferation in the review of the non-proliferation treaty, this is about the threat that Iran would pose to our national security and that of countries in the region, but it is also about the arms race that it would inevitably trigger.
Answered by
Ivan Lewis
(Labour)
Asked by
Rob Marris
(Labour)
Answering body
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Type
Oral answers to questions
The regime is despicable, but why is it so troubling to the United Kingdom that Iran is going nuclear when so many other countries have already done so—for example, India, Pakistan and, of course, Israel? Does that not smack of double standards?
Subjects
Politics and government; Iran
Date
2 March 2010
Reference
506 c793
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons