Priti Patel avoids Commons questions on Israel meetings due to Africa trip
Priti Patel has been unable to face questions from MPs about "secret" meetings she held in Israel because she is away on government business.
The International Development Secretary, who is facing mounting criticism, was "in the air" on her way to Africa, Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt told the Commons, adding that she "did not suddenly contrive" the visit in order to avoid facing MPs.
Mr Burt faced calls of "Where is she?" from the opposition benches when he rose to respond on Ms Patel's behalf.
Labour had posed an urgent question over Ms Patel's meetings in Israel, held while she is said to have been on a family holiday.
While on holiday she held 12 meetings, including with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, without informing the Foreign Office and accompanied by pro-Israel lobbyist Lord Polak.
Shadow international development secretary Kate Osamor called Ms Patel's absence in the Commons "simply unacceptable" and demanded she face a Cabinet Office investigation or do "the decent thing" and resign.
She also accused Ms Patel of having "misled" the public with her initial apology in which she said the Foreign Office had been aware of her trip "while it was under way", something she later clarified.
Mr Burt told MPs: "The secretary of state is on a pre-arranged government visit to Africa to focus on how we are breaking down barriers to [trade] and she is presently in the air.
"The secretary of state realises in hindsight that these meetings were not arranged following the usual procedures and she has apologised for that.
"The Foreign Office has said that UK interests were not damaged or affected by the meetings on this visit."
Ms Patel's meetings have been a further embarrassment for Prime Minister Theresa May, already struggling with an abuse scandal that has seen the resignation of Michael Fallon as defence secretary.
Separately, her foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, has come under fire for comments he made that were reportedly later used by prosecutors in Iran to extend the sentence of a British woman imprisoned there.
But Mr Burt indicated Ms Patel would not face further action over her trip as the prime minister "regards the matter as closed".
Ms Osamor showed she was less than happy about that, telling MPs: "It is hard to think of a more black and white case of breaking the ministerial code of conduct but rather than change the minister, the prime minister somehow decided last night that it is the ministerial code itself that needs changing."
Speaker John Bercow said he would "welcome" Ms Patel indicating that she wishes to make a statement to the Commons on November 13 about the controversy, although he told MPs: "That, I think, has to be for her to judge."
Labour has called for an investigation into Ms Patel's actions, claiming her Israel meetings involved four "serious breaches" of the ministerial code and that she had been "far from frank" when asked to account to the prime minister
Jon Trickett, Labour’s shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, said it was now up to Mrs May "to launch an investigation of these serious breaches of the ministerial code or explain why even given this she believes that Priti Patel can stay in post".