The Situation in Libya

I stand 100 per cent behind the Libyan people and their right to express their views free from the threat of assassination, beatings, rape and intimidation. At a time of cautious optimism in other parts of the Middle East, Qadhafi's brutality has made him once more a pariah.

The Conservative Party will continue to push for a tough approach. Action is best done on an international basis and we are doing a lot of preparatory work in order to be able to take further measures very soon. In Brussels today we discussed with EU partners what further measures should be taken. These include sanctions such as travel bans and arms embargos.

We are considering the full range of measures at our disposal, bilaterally and with international partners - with our friends in the Arab League, at the EU, with the US and other partners and at the UN.

We are working with the international community to send the united message that there will be 'a day of reckoning for any atrocities and abuses that are committed' so that the unacceptable violence ends. The Libyan authorities should know that the world is not just watching and passing statements, but that we want to make sure that serious abuses of human rights are properly investigated in the future and that those guilty will be held accountable for their actions.
Libyan Evacuation

I am gravely concerned about the situation in Libya, which is a danger to the people of Libya and could have serious implications for the wider region. The situation in Libya is worsening and it remains highly unpredictable.

The security and wellbeing of British Nationals is our absolute priority. We are doing all we can to get them out of Libya, drawing on both military and commercial assets, as well as working with international partners. Of those who had requested evacuation from Tripoli or Benghazi by 24 February, we have now helped evacuate a vast majority of them (approximately 500).

I am deeply concerned about the safety of British Nationals in the desert. Yet I know that we are working intensively on a range of options to secure their safe passage from Libya, working with other countries whose nationals are in the same position.

This morning the Prime Minister will be chairing a meeting of the National Security Council and COBRA.
The PM and the Foreign Secretary have made clear that they are sorry for the distress caused to British Nationals. The Foreign Secretary has ordered a review of procedures for evacuating British Nationals. Rightly, our immediate focus is on making sure BNs can leave Libya. I sincerely hope that all our citizens return safely and that the Libyan people achieve the freedom they so greatly desire.

Forestry Update & Newsletter

I would like to thank Caroline Spelman MP, the Minister responsible for the recent consultation on the future of our forests, who today showed that she listened to the people of Sherwood. Having undertaken an extensive consultation on the future of our forests and listened to the views of both the public and various organisations, it was clear to Government that there were serious and widespread concerns about the proposed changes and the consultation has accordingly been brought to an end.

In addition, the Minister announced that the Government will remove the forestry clauses from the Public Bodies Bill which is currently at committee stage and that an independent panel will be established to consider forestry policy in England, due to report in autumn.

Speaking in the Commons today, I thanked the Secretary of State for listening to me and the people of Sherwood over the last month and encouraged her to take no lessons from the Labour party who, whilst in Government, sold of an area of woodland greater than the size of the city of Nottingham. I also asked whether the Minister agreed that this was an opportunity to increase the biodiversity of Nottinghamshire’s woodlands and increase the number of deciduous trees like broad oaks in the coniferous woods that were under consultation.

There is no doubt that this issue has generated a great deal of discussion and I think that’s a good thing. We should never take our woods for granted and I hope the publicity around this will get more people to use our forests.

I believe that the Minister’s decision to call to an end the consultation is a brave one: this was always a genuine discussion with the public and I applaud Caroline for being able to come forward and act on what the public wants. Government’s priority is to secure a sustainable future for our woodlands and forests and we must ensure that this is done in a way the public agrees with. I think there is an obvious comparison to be drawn between this truly interactive consultation and the sham consultation carried out by Labour over the savage Post Office closures.

My recent newsletter can be viewed in full here:
http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=a35565f73e90181bec1a65eb4&id=8491dd3219