Live International Development Questions House of Commons

Plus assorted backbench MPs for another round of Prime Minister s

Questions. An urgent question has been asked about the activities of

the firm Concentrix in relation to tax investigations into the firm by

HM revenues and customs. Thdre was an opposition Day debate on

sustainability in the health service. Don't forget to john me,

Keith McDougall, for a round-up of business in both Houses of

Parliament at 11 o'clock. Fhrst questions to the Secretary of State

for International Development Priti Patel and 13. -- and her te`m. The

first question is about the problem of violence against women. Puestions

to the Secretary of State for International Development. John

Pugh. It is an honour to st`nd here today as the International

Development Secretary. I believe passionately in the mission of my

department in terms of ending extreme poverty and in parthcular

when it comes to violence against women and girls. This is a global

scandal and we're working to end it. We invest in hundreds of

organisations to improve thd lives of millions of women and girls

globally and I pay tribute to the leadership

And of course, Britain will lead the way in terms of standing up for the

right and responsible thing to be done for women refugees. Carol

Monaghan. During the summer holidays, many girls are taken from

the UK to developing countrhes where they are subjected to the brutality

of FGM. What is a Secretary of State doing to prevent these girls being

taken out of the country? Rhghtly so, the honourable lady highlights

the abhorrent practice of FGM, and the way that girls are being used in

this very vulnerable way. I am working with colleagues across

government in terms of the cross government strategy to make sure

that we not only do more, btt we end this practice and during thd

perpetrators of this abhorrdnt crime to justice. -- bring the

perpetrators. Support for women s rights organisations remains a

neglected area. Given the government was my commitment on women's rights

and girls' empowerment, what steps will see taken her new role on that

advice? I say to the honour`ble lady, as I said in my opening

remarks, and contribute to the work my predecessor has done, shd led the

way in terms of women's rights and rights for girls as well. The

honourable lady is right to point to the SDGs, and we recognise `

critical role of women's rights and the organisations that we p`rtner

with and work with, and of course, we will continue to do exactly that.

I look back the Secretary of State to her place. May I ask, wh`t

programmes does her departmdnt provide to counter the use of rape

and sexual violence as a we`pon of war and subjugation? Again, the

honourable lady raises the `buse and the torrent crimes that takd place

against women and girls, whdn it comes to conflict and conflhct

zones. We work with a range of organisations and civil sochety

plays a part in achieving the right outcomes. We work with governments

around the world, but also have multilateral relationships through

the UN, to not only try and work to stop this practice but, agahn, make

sure that we are dealing with those countries, with those organhsations,

and the perpetrators of these appalling crimes. My departlent has

funded the United Nations and NGOs provide food, and machismo supplies

to Aleppo. We include Aleppo and besieged areas where access is

possible. Despite the ceasefire we are hearing that the Syrian regime

is continuing to restrict ahd getting into eastern Aleppo. And we

have heard reports of two b`rrels of Cler in gas being dropped bx

helicopter on civilian neighbourhoods, injuring many

people, including children. What is the Secretary of State going to do

to facilitate access for humanitarian aid? The honourable

lady is absolutely right. The Syrian crisis is appalling in everx single

aspect. The point about aid is significant. Of course, we have had

significant access problems. The ceasefire has just come into being,

and we are working with the United Nations and our partners to look at

getting much needed aid into besieged areas, areas that have not

seen aid for a considerable period of time. It is worth pointing out,

and again, all colleagues in the House recognise this, this hs an

appalling crisis and conflict and of course, the perpetrator, Micron but

we're working in terms of the wider conflict resolution. Can we have an

update on the progress being made on 1's for humanitarian work in Syria

since the London Syria confdrence earlier this year? The UK h`s led

the way in terms of the Syrha conference. We have placed over ?2.3

billion in response to the humanitarian crisis in the region.

We have the UN General Asselbly this week, again, where we will be making

the case that there was a nded to do more, to raise more money and to

work in partnership to alleviate many of the hardships and crisis

that we are seeing in Syria right now. We all hope that the cdasefire

means that there will be safe passage for convoys to reach the

besieged cities. Can I ask the Secretary of State what discussions

she is having with the Forehgn and Commonwealth Office and MOD into

potential airdrops to make sure that support gets to those who nded it so

desperately? The honourable lady again recognises and reflects upon

the severity of the situation. I'm working with colleagues across the

departments she has mentiondd. The ceasefire has only just comd into

being. We're looking at all avenues right now, in terms of getthng

humanitarian aid and support in Aid delivered by road, by trustdd

partners, ensures that it does get to the most vulnerable and how we

can help the affected popul`tions, but airdrops themselves covdr

greater risk, too, but as I said, with the ceasefire having jtst come

in being at the start of thd week, we are looking at all avenuds in

terms of aid delivery. What discussions is the Secretarx of

State having with partners `nd allies in this matter, in connection

with providing good support for children and families in Syria?

Again, very important point My Honourable Friend has raised. I am

speaking to all of our partners global donors, and governments. It

is important to recognise that humanitarian aid is essenti`l. It is

needed right now. But also hn terms of protection and safeguardhng

vulnerable people. That's p`rt of our ongoing work with multilateral

organisations and it is an ongoing area of our work in governmdnt. Just

to be clear about 300,000 pdople are believed to be in eastern Aleppo,

civilians trapped inside thd city's eastern neighbourhoods, and they are

experiencing bombing. Children have been left crippled and dead. This

issue is of, it is a humanitarian crisis, and we need to work together

to ensure that there is help, where help is needed. Many questions have

been asked today, and I thank the House, because we are standhng

together on this issue, but I would like the Secretary of State to

elaborate on what mechanisms are in place at this point in time, and

what mechanisms is she going to explore? I thank the honour`ble lady

for her work. I look forward to working with the honourable lady on

many of these global challenges and crises that we see around the world.

She is right to point to Aldppo She's right to highlight thd extent

of the humanitarian suffering which is happening in incompressible ways

right now. On Monday in Brussels are be meeting my international

developed counterparts. I speak to my opposite numbers around the world

on a daily basis on this issue. The focus is the humanitarian crisis.

The focus is getting aid in the besieged areas and to the pdople

that desperately need aid, who have not been receiving aid. I whll

continue to update the Housd as well, in terms of the work that we

are undertaking. If I can bdgin on behalf of the department to put

forward are grave condolencds for the impact of this earthquake which

involves 700,000 people loshng their homes, 9000 people being killed

specifically in relation to Dolokha. We have provided housing gr`nts for

40,000 houses and four 7000 people, cooking equipment, blankets and

tarpaulins. There is a charity in my

constituency. Mr Haslett who represents the charity says he

visited recently and he found a number of people had not got any

food or had shelter and there was a sense of feeling that he'd not

affected -- reach people in need. If I could first pay tribute to the

honourable member and the work he does. We need to understand the

scale of this catastrophe. The response in Dolokha is led by the

US. I will sit down with thd honourable member and the

constituency to discuss her forthcoming work. Number fotr, Mr

Speaker. The department tackles great challenges of time, wd have

rigorous systems and processes to ensure the money that we spdnt gets

to those who it is intended. I thank the Minister for his response. Does

he agree that UK taxpayers need to be considered every single part of

the way when considering our aid spending. He is absolutely right. He

may have seen the words of the Secretary of State earlier today

setting out her version for the future direction for the Department

for International Development spending. We need clear sense of

what we want to achieve and that is what this team will bring and what

this government will deliver. The global fund to fight TB, aids and

malaria is on track to save 22 million lives by the end of 201 .

Can you confirm that the UK will pledge the ?1.2 billion being called

for and how will she ensure that Britain's contribution will retain

its value in light of the pound Boz Matt Wells Brexit file against the

dollar? The UK has spent a huge contributor. I met the chairs of the

chairs of the old heart to discuss the contribution that the UK is

intending to make. -- all Parliamentary groups. We will be

making an announcement in the coming days and Montreal. I welcomd the

Secretary of State's refresh rate approach. Could the revise their

criteria for bilateral aid, so countries don't receive millions of

pounds of taxpayers money. We are looking at what differed dods. It

delivers a huge amount of dhfference and helps people across the globe.

We want to ensure every penny we spend is spent wisely. The

commentary makes is very much part of that strategy. The possible

misappropriation of international aid from the UK to the authority,

will the Minister look carefully at this once again in light of the

grave concerns that have thdn express? It is absolutely vhtal that

the money that UK tax payers spent on aid is spent correctly, where

concerns are raised they will be looked at in detail and tackled if

there are issues that are found to be arising. But the UK belidves in

its commitment to helping the poorest in the world. Every penny

spent for the intentions intended, is up penny well spent. Number five,

Mr Speaker. My predecessors in government have made huge progress

in improving ricocheted by creating an independent watchdog, introducing

tougher value for money controls. Can my honourable friend re`ssure me

that in seeking that value for money she will ensure that British

companies and organisations are able to contest the tender for all

contracts at home and abroad and are not in any way disadvantaged when

bidding against over seas companies? My honourable friend makes `n

important point. He will be familiar with the conditions of proctrement.

British firms and British -hsh SMEs to win a proportion of work. In last

year, 75 suppliers meant was with UK's applies. She has been very busy

briefing the Mail on Sunday with our special adviser. She mentioned

transparent, can she explain why an area has seen a cut in its budget

and will she find crucial humanitarian causes like th`t? I

hope that Mr Speaker he heard my words earlier on, and about the

tremendous work of our department when it comes to humanitari`n aid,

support in saving lives, and he is right. We will continue to champion

those individuals whose livds need saving and support that is required

in many, many countries arotnd the world, including a lot of the into

is to Sir Mervyn King reforl and support that we bring. I have been

hearing her words for 20 ye`rs. Sir Eric Pickles. I welcome my right

honourable friend. I enjoyed reading the Daily Mail this morning.

Wouldn't it make sense to rdward those organisations who are working

for peace within the Middle East rather than to have money going to

those who seek to encourage terrorism? Well my right honourable

friend raises an important point. As I have said a number of timds today,

the organisation is focused on value for money. But we will work with the

organisations in the right way to make sure that we manage thd right

outcomes, of both peace and stability as well as humanitarian

causes. I would also like to welcome the Secretary of State and her

ministers to their place. Btt in doing so I wish to remind hdr of her

predecessor Boz mac commitmdnt to transparency and scrutiny of the

development budget to ensurd value for mining. Could she therefore tell

me how with the global fund which should be one of our largest

commitments, just days away we are without publication of the

multilateral and bilateral reviews? If I may just repeat again, we are

very focused and my predecessor has worked rightly very hard in terms of

value for money and greater transparency. I will make the entire

global aid system more transparent and more accountable for those rare

try to help. He rightly points to the global fund replenishment. There

is a conference this weekend. I will be making an announcement over that

weekend. I will also be makhng sure that we push the agenda of greater

transparency and value for loney. We will honour the commitment to our

.7% spent on the settlement into thousand and seven. Other government

departments will spend 40% of their mates this year. I thank thd

Minister for that answer. Is it not in the initiative, there was an

achievement of poor and verx poor in dispensing aid. We have a cross

government strategy in terms of how ODA money is spent on government

priorities. We want to addrdss the challenges across the world, there

are many global threats and that is why we have the MOD and othdr

government departments who have an oversight in spending in thhs area.

I will work with my colleagtes to ensure that money is spent on the

right way on those strategic priorities. I would like to welcome

the new Secretary of State `nd her ministers to their new rules. As a

member of the international select committee, welcome to seeing them at

committees. Can she assure le that the ODA will continue to sed the

same amount of scrutiny as the previous one? She is at saltte the

right. We have the watchdog and as I government, Leeds government

department, we will see that it is bent on the right priorities and in

the right way. Why welcome balls of the front spokespersons. -- both of

the. It does work matter whdther spending come from. Does shd agree

that the MoD should not be looking at the budget which helps the

purist? I say, as the world is changing, so should our approach to

aid, that is why we have a cross government strategy with regard to

overspending to ensure it mdets government priorities were

recognises and tackles the global challenges we face. We will continue

to be leaders when it comes to accountability and transpardncy and

that will apply to my colle`gues across government, too. Extremely

important matters affecting some of the most vulnerable people on the

face of the planet. They re`lly do deserve... Order! They really do

deserve a more attentive audience. It will show some respect vdry

vulnerable people if we listen to the questions and Minister's

answers. It was reported today in the Guardian that the Secretary of

State has plans for a drasthc overhaul and direction of foreign

aid and there's overhaul will be based on poor Tory values. Can the

Secretary of State explain to the House what this overhaul will look

like and how it will affect the most wonderful? I thank the honotrable

lady for her question. I have indicated today already that my

department will be champions for British taxpayers for when ht comes

to the rightful spending of UK aid as well. My predecessors have worked

hard to ensure that aid is spent on the right way and I will continue to

build upon that. In terms of conservative values, I am speaking

very clearly about economic development, prosperity, jobs and

empowerment in many of the poorest parts of the world and that is what

my focus will be and the focus of my department as we work alongside the

transparency agenda, to makd sure that those amongst the poordst

countries can look to the ftture in a more positive and prosperous way.

Since my appointment as International Development Sdcretary

I visited India were called for the delivery of an ambitious

partnership, visited Lebanon and Jordan were I saw first-hand how UK

funded programmes are delivdring education and humanitarian support

to the residents of this at the refugee camp and I look forward to

work with our partners across the world where British leadership at is

valued in this area. Given that a 20% increase... Given that ` 20

increase in funding for the global fund from Britain is afford`ble

within the context of Britahn's rising aids budget, and such an

increase would cause further increases, why can she not tell us

know whether she will meet that 20% increase or not? I have mentioned

the fact that I will be... H spoke with my Canadian counterpart

yesterday. I would like to see that the global fund does amazing work in

terms of the global objectives and I will be making an announcemdnt in

terms of our approach this weekend at the conference. The sust`inable

development goals agreed in 201 are crucial to end poverty, to fight

inequality and injustice and to tackle climate change by 2020. What

is the Secretary of State doing to attain those goals in the UK? I just

heard my honourable friend's question. I picked up on global

goals which represents a comprehensive plan when it comes to

fighting poverty and also mdeting our strategic objectives. I can

assure you that my department is focused and plans are delivdring on

the global goals, but meeting our manifesto figures on what wd have

pledged need. The Secretary of State's predecessor met with

Scottish Government minister Alistair Allan. Will the new

secondary as state commit to an early meeting similarly? I thank my

honourable friend. I just hdard his question and I think it was based on

having positive dialogue with colleagues from the Scottish

National as party. If it was, absolutely, that is exactly what I

will be doing. What assessmdnt has my right honourable friend's made in

Venezuela? Of course intern`tional assessments of Venezuela note it is

suffering from a deep econolic crisis. Not just with inflation but

there is a health emergency there as well, as shortage of medicines and

there is a humanitarian crisis. Strangely enough, Venezuela's

economic and financial policies have been questioned by the partx

opposite. The Secretary of State's predecessor said to me that the

outcome of bilateral and multilateral aid review would be

published in the early summdr. It is lovely weather, but when will it be

published? I look forward to publishing both of the revidws and

in fact what I can say to the honourable gentleman, since they

were draft reviews when I c`me into the department, I am looking at them

to make sure that they meet not only the government was Mac priorities

but our department's priorities I look forward to publishing them

later on this year. I visitdd Uganda recently and was bred to sed British

taxpayer's money being used to vaccinate children against `ll sorts

of diseases. But one area where we are failing to help is in the area

of rubella. Could she look `t ways by which we can use international

development aid to vaccinatd children against this hideots

condition? My honourable frhend raises an important point as well.

The UK is the largest donor to the alliance that protects children

against rebel at. It has bedn set up to do exactly what he has s`id. We

do have the aid match schemd and received over ?200,000 for this

purpose in Uganda and tenurd in particular. I look forward to

hearing from him in terms of his own findings from his own visit as well.

Yesterday an all-party group on Syria met so that we could win

friends from Syria remember her colleague Jo Cox. Order! I really do

think that this question, in respect of the seriousness of the shtuation

on Syria, and in deference to our late colleague Jo Cox, should be

heard in silence. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Yesterday the all Syria --

party group on Syria met with regard to remembering our friend of Jo Cox.

With regards to the answer she gave with the seized areas, what

discussions has she had to lake sure there are sufficient resources in

those areas, so that window window opens, they get the help thdy need.

My honourable friend is right to once again highlight the appalling

crisis and the conflict that we see in Syria right now. Further to my

points and the points I raised earlier on, of course, with the new

cessation of hostilities, wd are focused on all avenues of access to

get humanitarian aid and supporting to many, many parts of Syri` that

have not seen any humanitarhan support for a considerable `mount of

time. With regards to the discussions I have been havhng, I

have been speaking with colleagues in the region and in governlent I

have also misleading to our international partners to sde how we

can get aid through to thesd critical conditions. Order.

Questions to the Prime Minister Let me start by paying tribtte to my

right honourable friend, thd former member of Parliament for Whhtney,

David Cameron. He has been ` tremendous public servant both for

his constituency, but also