Policing minister wriggles over toe-curling Question Time moment when he asked whether Rwanda and Congo are different countries - saying he was being 'rhetorical'

Policing minister Chris Philp wriggled today over his toe-curling Question Time blunder when he asked whether Rwanda and Congo are different countries.

The MP insisted he was being 'rhetorical' as he was challenged over the awkward response given while being quizzed about details of the government's policy.

On Thursday night an audience member pointed out there has been a long history of violent conflict between the neighbouring countries.

He asked Mr Philp: 'Had my family members come from Goma (a city on the country's border) on a crossing right now, would they then be sent back to the country they are supposedly warring – Rwanda?

'Does that make any sense to you?'

Mr Philp replied: 'No, I think there's an exclusion on people from Rwanda being sent to Rwanda.'

After the audience member objected that his parents were 'not from Rwanda', the Conservative MP appeared to ask: 'Well, I mean, Rwanda is a different country to Congo isn't it?

'It's a different country?'

The question sparked laughter from the audience, as Labour shadow health secretary Wes Streeting peered at Mr Philp in in disbelief.

However, speaking on the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg this morning, Mr Philp insisted he had been posing a rhetorical question.

'I was struggling a little bit to hear the question,' he said.

'When I put that point to him I was asking that as a clearly rhetorical question rather than a substantive question, as I think any fair-minded listener would conclude.'

Mr Streeting, appearing alongside Mr Philp again, said he was 'quite dumbstruck by the whole moment'.

UK ministers plan to send asylum seekers coming to the UK on a one-way flight to the east African nation, with the aim of deterring others from crossing the English Channel on small boats.

The legislation implementing the plan, the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act, has finally joined the statute book after clearing Parliament last week.