:00:33. > :00:42.If I can just her appeal on these occasions to members leaving the
:00:42. > :00:49.chamber, to do so quickly and quietly so that those remaining can
:00:49. > :00:53.listen uninterrupted to the statement of the Secretary of State.
:00:53. > :00:58.With permission, Mr Speaker, I should like to make a statement on
:00:58. > :01:01.the Government's response which I am publishing in detail on line
:01:01. > :01:09.later to the humanitarian and emergency response review carried
:01:09. > :01:13.out by the noble lord Lord Ashdown. The Ashdown report is an impressive
:01:13. > :01:18.document. It makes a compelling, clear and powerful case for reform.
:01:18. > :01:23.This government agrees with the central thesis of the review and
:01:23. > :01:27.will except the vast majority of its specific recommendations. In
:01:27. > :01:31.many areas we will go beyond the specific recommendations of the
:01:32. > :01:36.review. In order to drive faster improvement in the international
:01:36. > :01:40.response to disasters. I am extremely grateful to Lord Ashdown
:01:40. > :01:45.for the work they have done to produce such a compelling and well
:01:45. > :01:49.argued review. His formidable insight and experience shine
:01:49. > :01:53.through it. I am grateful also to all those who have taken the time
:01:53. > :01:57.and trouble to respond to the consultation and whose experience
:01:57. > :02:03.has added to the quality of the recommendations. I pay tribute to
:02:03. > :02:07.date to those Brits around the world working tirelessly in extreme
:02:07. > :02:12.circumstances to save lives during humanitarian crisis Mac. Their work
:02:12. > :02:16.often unsung and undertaken at personal risk is truly heroic and I
:02:16. > :02:21.pay tribute to the role of the British armed forces in responding
:02:21. > :02:24.to humanitarian emergencies. In Pakistan last year, our forces
:02:24. > :02:29.provided swift and effective relief flying emergency bridges to
:02:29. > :02:34.reconnect family separated by the floods. In Haiti they brought life-
:02:34. > :02:38.saving equipment and supplies to those stricken by the earthquake.
:02:38. > :02:42.Lord Ashdown's report says a challenging agenda for the 21st
:02:42. > :02:46.century. It recognises that while disasters are nothing new, we are
:02:46. > :02:50.experiencing a sudden increase in their intensity and frequency. It
:02:50. > :02:55.makes clear that this trend will only grow with climate change,
:02:55. > :03:00.population growth and greater and - - greater urbanisation. The review
:03:00. > :03:04.concluded that DFID has played a strong role in improving the
:03:04. > :03:08.quality of response. This is an area where Britain is well
:03:08. > :03:11.respected and well regarded. But there was no room for complacency,
:03:11. > :03:16.which is why I commissioned a review and why this government will
:03:16. > :03:20.take action to implement it. In the UK government response to the
:03:20. > :03:24.review, I have set out how in collaboration with others we will
:03:24. > :03:29.rise to the challenges presented. How we will do more to help people
:03:29. > :03:32.stricken by disasters and emergencies. There are some
:03:32. > :03:38.fundamental principles that will guide our response to humanitarian
:03:38. > :03:43.emergencies. First we will continue to apply the core principles of
:03:43. > :03:48.humanity, impartiality and neutrality to all British
:03:48. > :03:52.Government humanitarian action. Second we will respect and promote
:03:52. > :03:57.respect for international humanitarian law. Third and
:03:57. > :04:02.crucially we will be motivated not by political security or economic
:04:02. > :04:07.objectives but I need and need a loan. We will deliver humanitarian
:04:07. > :04:11.assistance in three main ways - we will provide predictable support
:04:11. > :04:17.for our multilateral humanitarian partners including the Red Cross
:04:17. > :04:21.movement and the United Nations. In humanitarian emergencies wear
:04:21. > :04:26.berets need, we will provide additional resources to the
:04:26. > :04:30.international system. We will intervene directly where the UK can
:04:30. > :04:35.contribute in ways that others cannot all wear berets substantial
:04:35. > :04:41.public interest in our doing so. Let me turn out to the detail of
:04:41. > :04:46.our response. Lord Ashdown's report identifies seven specific themes -
:04:46. > :04:52.resilience, anticipation, leadership, innovation,
:04:52. > :04:56.accountability, partnership and humanitarian space. It is not
:04:56. > :05:00.enough for us simply to pick up the pieces once a disaster has struck.
:05:00. > :05:04.We need to help Honourable committees prepare for disasters
:05:04. > :05:08.and to become more resilient. This is where we can have the most
:05:09. > :05:12.impact and where we can do that lives from being lost. More
:05:12. > :05:16.resilient communities and countries will also recover faster from
:05:16. > :05:21.disaster. I commit DFID to build resilience into all its country
:05:21. > :05:25.programmes. Second we must anticipate and be prepared for
:05:25. > :05:28.disasters. We will work with governments and the international
:05:29. > :05:34.system to become better at understanding where climate change,
:05:34. > :05:39.seismic activity, seizure of fluctuations and conflicts were
:05:39. > :05:41.leaked to humanitarian disasters. With are those will set up a global
:05:41. > :05:44.risk register of those countries most at risk so that the
:05:44. > :05:47.international effort can be more focused. The review calls for
:05:47. > :05:51.stronger leadership by the international community. We
:05:51. > :05:55.strongly agree that the United Nations must be central to this and
:05:55. > :06:01.I am pleased that under the leadership of the emergency relief
:06:01. > :06:06.co-ordinator, the noble baroness, Baroness Amos, the UN has already
:06:06. > :06:09.made this a priority. Britain will back her agenda for change but I
:06:09. > :06:13.accept that significant challenges remain. Members across the House
:06:13. > :06:17.need only to look back to the Haiti earthquake or the Pakistan floods
:06:17. > :06:22.to see examples of the United Nations failing to deliver the
:06:22. > :06:26.leadership that was needed. We will work with other donors for much-
:06:26. > :06:30.needed reforms. The review highlights the role innovation and
:06:30. > :06:36.science can play in every aspect of humanitarian response. We will
:06:36. > :06:40.establish an innovations Team which a embeds research and innovation
:06:41. > :06:47.into our core work. We must always be accountable and transparent
:06:47. > :06:51.about how we spend our development budget. It is taxpayers' money,
:06:51. > :06:55.that duty of accountability extends not only to British citizens and
:06:55. > :06:59.tax payers but to those who depend upon our aid. We will make
:06:59. > :07:05.accountability central to our humanitarian work and we will do
:07:06. > :07:09.more to measure our own impact and that of our partners. Rarely is
:07:09. > :07:12.partnership more important than in the delivery of her manner Terry
:07:12. > :07:17.and eight. The strength and quality of that court nation can make the
:07:17. > :07:20.difference between life and death. We must try to develop stronger
:07:20. > :07:25.alliances, particularly with new donors including the Gulf States,
:07:25. > :07:29.China and Brazil. We must improve the quality of our relationships
:07:29. > :07:35.with other bilateral donors are making sure our efforts are better
:07:35. > :07:40.co-ordinated and the burden of responsibility shed. I also want to
:07:40. > :07:45.involve fully charities, NGO, if they'd groups and the private
:07:45. > :07:49.sector in our emergency response work. The review calls for the
:07:49. > :07:53.Protection and expansion of humanitarian space including for
:07:53. > :07:58.people affected by armed conflict. This is crucial to our aim of
:07:58. > :08:01.protecting civilians in conflict situations. We must make a
:08:01. > :08:07.consolidated effort across government using all diplomatic,
:08:07. > :08:12.legal, humanitarian, military tours to secure immediate access for
:08:12. > :08:17.humanitarian relief whenever we can. We recognise that to deliver this
:08:17. > :08:21.ambitious agenda it is right that we change the way we fund the
:08:21. > :08:25.system making it more effective and efficient, particularly in the
:08:25. > :08:29.first hour was of an emergency. I have looked at the performance and
:08:29. > :08:33.efficiency that different humanitarian agencies offer, many
:08:33. > :08:37.offer good value for money and have a sound track record in delivering
:08:37. > :08:42.results, so the lives and reducing suffering and some of the world's
:08:42. > :08:46.most difficult places. Some do not. I am therefore outlining today
:08:46. > :08:49.increased support for the best performing humanitarian
:08:49. > :08:55.multilateral as. I have also commissioned work to design any
:08:55. > :09:01.fitted -- facility that will enable pre-qualified charities and NGOs to
:09:01. > :09:05.respond to crises within the first 72 hours and design a mechanism to
:09:05. > :09:09.support the strongest performing charities to improve the timeliness
:09:09. > :09:16.and quality of responses to humanitarian causes. The Government
:09:16. > :09:20.will consult further on the details of these two instruments. This
:09:20. > :09:25.country is a world leader in responding to humanitarian
:09:25. > :09:28.emergencies. By implementing a Lord Ashdown's recommendations, working
:09:28. > :09:33.alongside new partners, the private sector and other countries'
:09:33. > :09:38.governments, we can be even better. I want this House and this country
:09:38. > :09:43.to be proud of our efforts, knowing that we in Britain will be there
:09:43. > :09:48.when the disasters strike. Let me end with the words of a survivor of
:09:48. > :09:52.a cyclone in Haiti. The water started to rise and it did not stop.
:09:52. > :09:56.The water was already high and strong that I could not hold on to
:09:57. > :10:06.one of my children and the water swept her away. Luckily someone was
:10:07. > :10:07.
:10:07. > :10:14.there to grab her. By command the Mr Speaker, I thank the Secretary
:10:14. > :10:18.of State for his statement. Can I advise the House that I am speaking
:10:18. > :10:23.today because the shadow Secretary of State is currently visiting
:10:23. > :10:27.Sierra Leone. We welcome the report, and I pay tribute to him and those
:10:27. > :10:33.who worked with him to produce an impressive and excellent set of
:10:33. > :10:37.proposals. Over last year, in Pakistan, 80, Chile, Japan, New
:10:37. > :10:42.Zealand, we have seen the terrible destruction caused by a range of
:10:42. > :10:46.natural disasters. In Libya and the Ivory Coast more we have seen how a
:10:46. > :10:51.humanitarian crisis can develop incredibly rapidly, threatening the
:10:51. > :10:56.livelihoods of thousands of people. The report reminds us that all
:10:56. > :11:01.these crises are likely to increase, and we must be ready to respond
:11:01. > :11:05.rapidly and effectively. We welcome the report's emphasis on working
:11:05. > :11:10.through multilateral organisations. Does he agree with me that working
:11:10. > :11:14.multilaterally is the best way to ensure greater coherence in
:11:14. > :11:19.response to and to prevent disaster? The report recognises
:11:19. > :11:23.that Dyfed has been widely praised friends leading role within the
:11:23. > :11:27.international humanitarian community, and sent 2005 the
:11:27. > :11:30.department has been one of the leading voices in calling for
:11:30. > :11:35.reforms in the international humanitarian system. We welcome the
:11:35. > :11:38.fact that the Government recognises that the need to strengthen its
:11:38. > :11:48.national leadership, but can ask him what cynics steps he will take
:11:48. > :11:49.
:11:49. > :11:51.to bring about that change? -- specific steps? Can I ask him why
:11:51. > :11:56.the government is rejecting recommendations in the report to
:11:56. > :12:00.encourage the convening of a UN high-level panel to look at ways of
:12:00. > :12:05.improving the international system to face a future challenges? How I
:12:05. > :12:09.fit in government led to an extension of the important central
:12:10. > :12:15.emergency response fund, and the report says it should be expanded
:12:15. > :12:19.further. Welcome at the $40 million announced last year, but can the
:12:19. > :12:22.Secretary of State tell us what the UK is doing to push other donor
:12:22. > :12:26.countries to make a similar contribution? As well as
:12:27. > :12:30.improvements in response to disaster, does he agree with me
:12:30. > :12:34.that the international community must do more to help prevent
:12:34. > :12:39.disasters, as the report underlines? As we have recently
:12:39. > :12:43.seen in Libya, gaining access to deliver humanitarian relief can be
:12:43. > :12:48.extremely difficult. I want to pay tribute to the many organisations
:12:48. > :12:52.like Islamic Relief, Save the children, who are often the first
:12:52. > :13:00.to reach a those who need help. Can he reassure us he will do all he
:13:00. > :13:05.can to ensure aid workers can operate in safety? Dyfed is indeed
:13:05. > :13:11.rightly recognised around the world to its leadership in responding
:13:11. > :13:14.times of crisis. Does he agree with me that in anticipating and
:13:14. > :13:19.responding to a humanitarian emergencies, having expired and
:13:19. > :13:24.skilled people is essential? Can he reassure us that given Dyfed is
:13:24. > :13:31.reducing its administration budget by a third, the necessary
:13:31. > :13:34.investment will be made? Lord Astor and's report recognises that the
:13:34. > :13:39.international humanitarian system is poorly equipped to ensure a
:13:39. > :13:45.response to the most vulnerable, women, children and the elderly. I
:13:45. > :13:49.welcome what he had to say today in that regard, and what the response
:13:49. > :13:52.from the government says in the full report. But will he assure us
:13:52. > :13:57.that the government will ensure that across the areas identified in
:13:57. > :14:02.the report, women in particular will be involved in the response to
:14:02. > :14:05.the disaster wherever it occurs? The report also underlines the
:14:05. > :14:12.important role that diaspora communities played it in responding
:14:12. > :14:18.to disaster, by raising awareness. I am glad he recognises that. Can
:14:18. > :14:22.he give us more information what he will do to ensure there is greater
:14:22. > :14:26.recognition of the money that the hard-working people in the UK sent
:14:26. > :14:32.home to people in the developing world? The Ashdown report is an
:14:32. > :14:38.important step, in government, Lader provided real reform, but we
:14:38. > :14:41.know there is much more to do. As he said, humanitarian work cannot
:14:41. > :14:45.be the sticking plaster for a lack of political action, but it can
:14:45. > :14:50.make an important contribution to alleviating suffering around the
:14:50. > :14:55.world. Today's will, words, now about to be transformed into the
:14:55. > :15:02.concrete action that is needed to ensure that in times of crisis, we
:15:02. > :15:09.help those who need it most. Speaker, I thank the honourable
:15:09. > :15:13.gentleman for his welcome, and his words about the team who have
:15:13. > :15:17.constructed the Ashdown report, under Lord Ashdown, and the
:15:17. > :15:23.response from my team, particularly in Chase and the humanitarian
:15:23. > :15:28.department. He is right to say that there is a huge amount of common
:15:28. > :15:33.ground on this, and will realised in opposition that there was a
:15:34. > :15:37.necessity, not to be complacent, to accept we can do things better.
:15:37. > :15:42.That is why the Prime Minister, in opposition, called for a report
:15:42. > :15:46.like this, and why we have carried it out. He is also right to
:15:46. > :15:51.underline the point that all serious research suggests that the
:15:51. > :15:56.number of disasters will increase by as much as 50% over the next 15
:15:56. > :16:00.years. That adds additional urgency to the work that we are doing. He
:16:00. > :16:04.is also right to make it clear that the right way and leading in these
:16:04. > :16:09.disasters is through the multilateral system, which is why
:16:09. > :16:15.we are determined to make our part better, but that the cluster system
:16:15. > :16:20.that operates in that is the right approach. We will be doing
:16:20. > :16:25.everything we can to see that it improves. On the issue of the
:16:25. > :16:30.special fund that was set up by the Rt Hon gentleman, which received
:16:30. > :16:36.strong support from the opposition at the time, we think it works
:16:36. > :16:40.extremely well, it does provide additional and immediate money in
:16:40. > :16:44.events of a disaster. That is why we have significantly increased
:16:44. > :16:50.resources to the fund, and with the additional fund that I announced
:16:50. > :16:54.today, helping in the first 72 hours with pre-qualified charities
:16:54. > :16:59.and NGOs, will be able to carry on the principle of that work in a
:16:59. > :17:03.more effective way. He is right to make the point that building in
:17:03. > :17:07.resilient from day one is vital in all the work that we do. That is
:17:07. > :17:12.now happening. He is entirely correct to point to the importance
:17:12. > :17:16.of gaining access for humanitarian relief, something we have
:17:16. > :17:23.consistently called for in Libya, and continue to call for in Syria
:17:23. > :17:28.and in Sudan. He is absolutely correct to say that women should
:17:28. > :17:32.always be involved in this work, the role of women, as people who
:17:32. > :17:37.suffer in the front line from humanitarian disasters is very well
:17:37. > :17:44.understood, and we give it our strong support in this work. On the
:17:44. > :17:49.point he makes about Remittance, I agree with him, on transparency in
:17:49. > :17:54.all we did. The money we spend his taxpayers' money. We are absolutely
:17:54. > :17:58.committed, that is why we published the transparency guarantee early on
:17:58. > :18:03.in the lifetime of this government. In respect of the use of taxpayers'
:18:03. > :18:09.money in alleviating the flood that took place in Pakistan last year,
:18:09. > :18:13.we had a floods monitor online so people could see how taxpayers'
:18:13. > :18:17.money was being spent, and what relief it was securing. In respect
:18:17. > :18:21.of these proposals, the Select Committee have announced that they
:18:21. > :18:31.will be looking to see that we are enacting all the things we have
:18:31. > :18:35.said we will do, in a year's time. Can I thank the Secretary of State
:18:35. > :18:40.for his statement, and the noble Lord Ashdown for his excellent
:18:40. > :18:45.report, and behalf of the committee, for his active engagement with us
:18:45. > :18:50.on two separate occasions. I note that the Secretary of State says
:18:50. > :18:54.he's publishing in more detail the steps that are taking to improve
:18:54. > :18:59.the UK response. Kenny indicate what kind of role the UK can play
:18:59. > :19:04.in getting a UN leadership to ensure that in the botched
:19:04. > :19:08.vulnerable countries, the co- ordinator has the line management
:19:08. > :19:13.authority to co-ordinate effective operations, and when he talks about
:19:13. > :19:17.the co-operation of NGOs, Kenny ensure that will not just be the UK
:19:17. > :19:25.response, but internationally, that will happen so that NGOs cannot get
:19:25. > :19:28.in each other's way? My Rt Hon friend is entirely right about
:19:28. > :19:32.those dangers come under no he and his committee have identified done
:19:33. > :19:36.in respect to some of the work they have done, not least over the
:19:36. > :19:41.crisis in Haiti, and the international response,
:19:41. > :19:45.particularly in the early hours to that. In terms of co-ordination, I
:19:45. > :19:50.didn't answer the question about the issue of high-level panel. I
:19:50. > :19:54.think it is important to make clear that Baroness Amos is leading an
:19:54. > :20:00.effective reform programme as the emergency relief co-ordinated. We
:20:00. > :20:04.back her very strongly, the heads of the UN agency back her. I
:20:04. > :20:07.continue to talk to her about the findings of the multilateral aid
:20:07. > :20:11.review, and the work of this humanitarian emergency response
:20:11. > :20:19.review. I think that is the right way to take this agenda forward.
:20:19. > :20:25.Let us see how we get on with that. Can I thank the Secretary of State
:20:25. > :20:30.for his statement, and also Lord Ashdown, for a very comprehensive
:20:30. > :20:35.report. On the question other partnership, does the Secretary of
:20:35. > :20:41.State agree with Lord Ashdown's very strong view that we should in
:20:41. > :20:46.fact be consulting with those who received 80, with civil societies
:20:46. > :20:50.in developing countries, with NGOs in the areas where there is an
:20:51. > :20:59.established need, if only because they really, on the ground, are the
:20:59. > :21:02.best people to tell us what is going on? The Rt Hon gentleman, who
:21:02. > :21:06.is extremely experienced in these matters, is absolutely right
:21:06. > :21:12.command I'm grateful to him up for his comments about the Lord Ashdown
:21:12. > :21:16.report. On at the issue of partnership, which Lord Ashdown
:21:16. > :21:19.identifies clearly, and the issue of accountability, they are at the
:21:19. > :21:24.front of what we are seeking to do. When we published the multilateral
:21:24. > :21:28.aid review, we didn't keep it as an internal document, we put it on
:21:28. > :21:32.line, we invited does we were setting to comment on what we said.
:21:32. > :21:36.We invited people who were recipients of this money to hold us
:21:36. > :21:40.to account. He is right in saying that in the poorest parts of the
:21:40. > :21:44.world, understanding the effect of what we do, what is the effect on
:21:44. > :21:50.those we are seeking to help, is vital to making the whole operation
:21:50. > :21:56.more effective. In welcoming this report, and the government's
:21:56. > :22:03.response to it, can he confirm that he can see a significant role in
:22:03. > :22:09.the future of this response to disaster, a role for small, niche
:22:09. > :22:14.charities, like Shelterbox, who often first on the scene with
:22:14. > :22:20.cooking facilities, water and so on. Does he see a role for charities
:22:20. > :22:24.like that in the future? I am sure he does. I thank him very much for
:22:24. > :22:28.his comments, he is right about the priority this Government makes in
:22:28. > :22:32.ensuring we support some of these smaller charities. Many people on
:22:32. > :22:36.both sides of the House will have seen them doing brilliant work
:22:36. > :22:43.overseas. There is of course the global poverty Action Fund, which
:22:43. > :22:47.will be having a flesh -- a fresh round in a month or two, and in
:22:47. > :22:54.respect of Shelterbox, which will be known to many throughout the
:22:54. > :22:58.House, they do a brilliant job. welcome the Secretary of State's
:22:58. > :23:04.words today, and in particular his praise the the contribution of
:23:04. > :23:10.British NGOs in responding to humanitarian disasters, but
:23:10. > :23:15.appreciate his continuing support for the agency that Baroness Amos
:23:15. > :23:18.Leeds are so well. Can I point out to him that it was disappointing to
:23:19. > :23:23.it see that no British minister attended the meeting in December,
:23:23. > :23:26.and given that America and France, two of our leading allies in the
:23:26. > :23:32.development debate, do not contribute to the fund, could he
:23:32. > :23:37.set out how his leadership on this issue will lead to this particular
:23:37. > :23:42.topic being placed on the agenda of the G8 for European Union
:23:42. > :23:47.development ministers, to lead a for more investment to help the UN
:23:47. > :23:51.give the leadership are desperately needs to do? He will understand
:23:51. > :23:54.that we consider attendance at these meetings on the basis of need,
:23:54. > :23:59.whether our attendance rather than allow work in advance of the
:23:59. > :24:03.meeting will have the most effect. By ministerial colleagues travel
:24:03. > :24:06.ferociously in pursuit of this agenda. Going forward, there are a
:24:06. > :24:11.large number of ways in which we have contributed to the shape of
:24:11. > :24:15.the way the international community handles these emergencies, the
:24:15. > :24:20.multilateral aid review played a significant part in that, the
:24:20. > :24:24.Ashdown review has played an enormous part in that and is being
:24:24. > :24:29.read avidly by most of those who engage in this work. We will
:24:29. > :24:35.consider what is the most effective way Britain can intervene to ensure
:24:35. > :24:39.the most overall effectiveness of this work. The UN has been
:24:39. > :24:45.notoriously slow and unco-ordinated in the past to respond to certain
:24:45. > :24:51.disasters. This has been as a result of poor leadership a. Would
:24:51. > :24:57.he, not withstanding the report, his department will relentlessly
:24:57. > :25:00.keep up the pressure with the wind? Because the next disaster, God
:25:00. > :25:10.forbid, may come tomorrow. We need to know the UN will be fit for
:25:10. > :25:12.
:25:12. > :25:17.It is the quality of leadership which determines how quickly we can
:25:17. > :25:22.respond. Sometimes for those UN actors who are there on the ground
:25:22. > :25:26.are extremely good at what they do it in normal times, but are not the
:25:26. > :25:30.right people to respond to disasters. That is why it is
:25:30. > :25:38.essential to get people there who can provide that quality of
:25:38. > :25:41.leadership. The fact that the number two to Baroness was there in
:25:42. > :25:48.Libya and he led to an immediate response of a much better quality
:25:48. > :25:53.than we had seen previously. Many communities in my constituency,
:25:53. > :25:59.particularly those from Pakistan and Bangladesh, have a commendable
:25:59. > :26:03.record contributing to relief when humanitarian disaster strikes. Can
:26:03. > :26:07.the Secretary of State give us more detail on how it expects to involve
:26:07. > :26:13.these communities in relief work and ensure their expertise is taken
:26:13. > :26:18.advantage of? It depends upon the disaster but he is entirely correct
:26:18. > :26:25.to point to the valuable work that the committees do. In the case last
:26:25. > :26:30.year of the Pakistan floods, they made a tremendous contribution not
:26:30. > :26:34.only financially but through a number of different charities. The
:26:34. > :26:41.very strong support they gave not least to Islamic Relief meant they
:26:41. > :26:45.played a vital part in the overall British relief effort. In welcoming
:26:45. > :26:49.this excellent report from the Government's response to it, would
:26:49. > :26:52.my right honourable friend agree that many of the most deprived and
:26:53. > :26:58.threatened people are those in war zones and would he agree that the
:26:58. > :27:02.kind of into agents working, which he stressed so heavily, bringing
:27:02. > :27:08.together a diplomatic military and a deck her -- aid effort is in the
:27:08. > :27:16.very best interest of the criterion of need, rather than compromising
:27:16. > :27:21.it? My honourable friend makes a good point and of course those
:27:21. > :27:25.people who live in conflict areas lose out twice over. Once because
:27:25. > :27:29.they are very poor and secondly because they are Pan Alley
:27:29. > :27:33.frightened by the conflict going on, and that is why the coalition has
:27:33. > :27:37.made a priority of trying to do much more in conflicted areas to
:27:37. > :27:41.bring help to people who are doubly cursed in the way in which I
:27:41. > :27:45.described. He is also right to point out that while humanitarian
:27:45. > :27:49.relief should always be circumstance blind and help those
:27:49. > :27:57.who are in great need, proper co- ordination amongst all those who
:27:57. > :28:01.can help is essential. As the Secretary of State knows, there is
:28:01. > :28:06.continuing argument in the development community over whether
:28:06. > :28:11.it is appropriate for the military to deliver humanitarian aid. I
:28:11. > :28:15.would like to pay my own tribute to British armed forces here I have
:28:15. > :28:18.seen in many parts of the word -- world, delivering aid to people he
:28:18. > :28:23.would have died if the British armed forces had not been there at
:28:24. > :28:30.the appropriate time. The right honourable lady makes an excellent
:28:30. > :28:34.point. Like her I have seen the way the military have delivered to
:28:34. > :28:39.desperate people at times of great need. We saw it in Pakistan last
:28:39. > :28:44.year. We have not needed military support to deliver aid in Libya so
:28:44. > :28:49.far. The military has been willing to provide it. I have discussed it
:28:49. > :28:53.creakingly with Valerie Amos who takes a sensible and pragmatic view
:28:53. > :28:59.to this. In the interests that we all serve for trying to get aid and
:28:59. > :29:02.support to people who are in greater need. I welcome the
:29:02. > :29:06.excellent Secretary of State's statement today. One of the
:29:06. > :29:09.problems appears to be the loss of life in the early hours of a
:29:09. > :29:13.disaster and we have seen emergency response team is ready to go from
:29:13. > :29:19.this country that had been stopped because they have no clearance to
:29:19. > :29:22.land in the areas affected. What can be done about that? He is
:29:22. > :29:28.referring to a particular incident of a Scottish charity that took
:29:28. > :29:32.place. I have looked at that in detail and I am happy that what he
:29:32. > :29:36.says about it is not correct. It is extremely important that there
:29:36. > :29:41.should be really good co-ordination and we should not have what we saw
:29:41. > :29:44.all too frequently in Haiti, which is a huge number of people heading
:29:44. > :29:52.towards a disaster target without the co-ordination to ensure they
:29:52. > :29:56.can be effective on the ground. A I welcome the report by the noble
:29:56. > :30:01.lord Ashdown and the Government's response to it. The International
:30:01. > :30:09.Development Committee found that some eight months after the
:30:09. > :30:14.disaster of the Pakistan floods, only one-third of the �2 billion --
:30:14. > :30:21.to billions dollar repeal had been disbursed in Pakistan. The noble
:30:21. > :30:25.lord has reported a said it was disappointing having crossed
:30:25. > :30:31.opportunities and lives. What leadership for the Government show
:30:31. > :30:36.at a UN level? The honourable gentleman has identified one of the
:30:36. > :30:39.problems in the relief in Pakistan that the international community
:30:39. > :30:43.mounted and indeed the select committee upon which he serves has
:30:43. > :30:47.produced a valuable report from which the international system will
:30:47. > :30:51.learn relevant lessons. I think that it will be fair to say that as
:30:51. > :30:56.far as Britain's support is concerned in Pakistan, Britain was
:30:56. > :31:03.the first to come in scale to give very strong support to the people
:31:03. > :31:07.in their greatest hours of need. Britain also continually pushed and
:31:07. > :31:11.prodded the international system to up its game. That was what we did
:31:11. > :31:16.at the time. Clearly that is also the tactics we are using now and
:31:16. > :31:21.which this report will be helpful in achieving. A welcome the
:31:21. > :31:28.positive response to the report. With the Government's pledge to
:31:28. > :31:32.fulfil the 40-year-old promise to spend 0.7 % of our national income
:31:32. > :31:38.on developing assistance, this process in a potentially world-
:31:38. > :31:42.leading position in international development and humanitarian
:31:42. > :31:46.assistance. Can the Secretary of State reassure us that on the pre-
:31:46. > :31:50.qualification process, that this will not disadvantaged those
:31:50. > :31:58.smaller local NGOs who are on the ground first and as the review
:31:59. > :32:03.makes clear, often do an excellent job at low cost. He makes a good
:32:03. > :32:07.point. In in terms of his last point, we will consult about the
:32:07. > :32:12.pre-qualification process to ensure that does not happen. This will be
:32:12. > :32:18.a fund to help those on the ground, so that in those first 72 hours
:32:18. > :32:25.when action is critical, we can make sure that money is not a
:32:25. > :32:29.barrier to immediate and effective actions. In respect to the gabby
:32:29. > :32:33.pledging conference which took place yesterday, this has a direct
:32:33. > :32:37.effect upon disaster because it stops children getting sick. We
:32:37. > :32:42.should be enormously proud of Britain and the Prime Minister's
:32:42. > :32:47.leadership, which as a result of the replenishing conference
:32:47. > :32:51.succeeded its target. We will be able to vaccinate more than a
:32:51. > :32:59.quarter of a billion children in the next few years and save nearly
:32:59. > :33:05.5 million lives. I welcome the Secretary of State's thinking on
:33:05. > :33:09.the faculty for emergency response, but can he assure us that there
:33:09. > :33:13.will be no attention between the follow-through on the Ashdown
:33:13. > :33:18.review and following through on the previous reviews with their
:33:18. > :33:24.particular emphasis on buying results? There Ashdown review puts
:33:24. > :33:29.emphasis on resilience, innovation science. The benefits from those
:33:29. > :33:37.are not always quantifiable. Will he ensure that the recommendation
:33:37. > :33:41.of of Ashdown's are not casualties? All of the reviews to which he
:33:41. > :33:45.refers focus very directly on the results which we are achieving. Not
:33:45. > :33:49.only to deliver real value for money for British taxpayers whose
:33:49. > :33:55.money we are deploying, but also for those we are trying to help.
:33:55. > :33:59.Although the Ashdown review was not very new to the Government, the
:33:59. > :34:04.first two were reviews from the Government and I think if he looks
:34:04. > :34:09.carefully at all three, he will find that there are seamlessly
:34:09. > :34:15.joined in a common interest and that international development from
:34:15. > :34:20.Britain is more effective and buys a greater results. I cannot think
:34:20. > :34:26.of anyone better than Lord Ashdown to have done such a report. I
:34:26. > :34:31.congratulate the Secretary of State for commissioning it. But the real
:34:31. > :34:37.need for humanitarian responses and the world's is that properly it is
:34:37. > :34:42.in the United Nations, and we have a first class person for emergency
:34:42. > :34:47.co-ordination in Baroness Amos in the United Nations, but above her
:34:47. > :34:52.in the United Nations, there is the Security Council which too often
:34:52. > :34:56.makes decisions at the speed of a striking slug. Is there any way
:34:57. > :35:03.that we as a permanent member of the Security Council can encourage
:35:03. > :35:07.other members and ourselves to make a special case for emergency
:35:07. > :35:14.responses, so we are not constrained by the requirements of
:35:14. > :35:18.veto or unanimity or majority voting? My honourable friend to
:35:18. > :35:24.knows a great deal about these issues Thamesmead to stray beyond
:35:24. > :35:28.my areas of competence, but what I can say is that the Foreign
:35:29. > :35:33.Secretary over the last trick has been ceaselessly engaged precisely
:35:33. > :35:38.on this point in respect of any resolution on Syria. I am conscious
:35:38. > :35:44.indeed of the point that he has made. I agree with him about the
:35:44. > :35:51.fact it was right to appoint Lord Ashdown, whose peculiar combination
:35:52. > :35:56.of talent and experience has led to this extremely good, why his report.
:35:56. > :36:01.I agree with him entirely that it is important to prioritise and
:36:01. > :36:09.understand that only the UN can be the chief co-ordinator of that.
:36:09. > :36:13.That is essential if we are to get an effective response on the ground.
:36:13. > :36:17.The Secretary of State has said he wishes to put women and girls at
:36:17. > :36:21.the heart of his development policy. He will be aware that violence
:36:21. > :36:28.against women is a feature often in these kinds of crisiss. How do we
:36:28. > :36:34.better deal with that problem? is an absolute priority of the
:36:34. > :36:37.Government to try and stop violence against women. We have 15 country
:36:37. > :36:41.programmes where that is an absolute priority. I attended the
:36:41. > :36:46.Home Secretary's meeting yesterday of Ministers on this very subject
:36:46. > :36:49.and was able to talk about the international dimension of it. She
:36:49. > :36:54.may arrested short -- rest assured that it remains at the top of the
:36:54. > :37:03.agenda. It is women and girls who suffer more -- most from these
:37:03. > :37:06.crisiss. Providing protection for children and four women who have
:37:06. > :37:13.been displaced is the most important aspect of the protection
:37:13. > :37:18.work we are doing. I want to welcome both D Ashdown report but
:37:18. > :37:23.also the Government's response to it. DFID is a world-class
:37:23. > :37:27.organisation with a world-class reputation. It is important that we
:37:27. > :37:34.are focusing on the anticipation and though risk register is a great
:37:34. > :37:37.addition of the tours that DFID can use. On that basis, will we also be
:37:37. > :37:42.developing strategies that mitigate that risk and can insure that we
:37:42. > :37:50.are pushing and helping countries move along a pathway to reduce the
:37:50. > :37:55.risks they're facing in light of issues like climate change?
:37:55. > :38:00.honourable friend identifies one of the seven key points made by Lord
:38:00. > :38:05.Ashdown and his advisory committee on this report. Anticipating
:38:05. > :38:08.disaster, ensuring that we develop a comprehensive risk register,
:38:08. > :38:12.working on Disaster reduction, which is one of the things the
:38:12. > :38:17.Minister of State has been focusing on in the port is essential if we
:38:17. > :38:21.are to take this agenda forward. Even though the Secretary of State
:38:21. > :38:27.has been in office for a year, he is turning out to be outstanding at
:38:27. > :38:30.his job supported by a very fine team of Ministers. Will he confirm
:38:30. > :38:36.that nothing in this statement will affect the ability of the
:38:36. > :38:40.Government to deliver relief to the people of Yemen? One of the poorest
:38:40. > :38:46.countries in the world now on the brink of civil war. Will he confirm
:38:46. > :38:51.that he will still be able to help the people of Yemen? I thank the
:38:51. > :38:56.honourable gentleman for his kind remarks. The importance of Yemen,
:38:56. > :39:02.Yemen remains on a humanitarian knife edge. We are looking at me
:39:02. > :39:07.its mapping within Yemen for the time that we can get back in their
:39:07. > :39:12.and we continue to give very strong support to the agencies who are
:39:12. > :39:18.conducting humanitarian relief in Yemen, and to bear in mind at all
:39:18. > :39:24.times if there is more we can do to assist. I warmly welcome -- welcome
:39:24. > :39:30.the Ashdown report and the Government's response but can I
:39:30. > :39:38.strongly urge tarmac in order to better and dissipate help different
:39:38. > :39:45.risk factors may threaten human life, for example, waters shortage
:39:45. > :39:50.can turn a humanitarian problem into a humanitarian disaster.
:39:50. > :39:54.is right to talk about the absolute importance of integration and I can
:39:54. > :39:57.reassure her to this extent that a lot of the climate change work we
:39:57. > :40:03.have taught -- doing, these are proposals that come to across a
:40:03. > :40:09.ministerial board that includes my department, the Treasury and other
:40:09. > :40:12.departments that have a direct interest. The importance of a cross
:40:12. > :40:22.Whitehall collaboration in all of this, which I indicated in my
:40:22. > :40:26.statement, is one we will not I welcome what it is about
:40:26. > :40:32.resilience, but does he recognise that some humanitarian crisis can
:40:32. > :40:39.be avoided if you do more work in food security and Prix positioning
:40:40. > :40:44.food stocks in the Horn of Africa, say, or on climate change? You can
:40:44. > :40:50.avoid it... Auditing and upstream country to warn a downstream
:40:50. > :40:55.country that a flood is coming. Work must be done in his department,
:40:55. > :41:00.in the UN, on this area. honourable gentleman is entirely
:41:00. > :41:06.correct in what he says, it is, for example, why we have consistently
:41:06. > :41:11.sought to pre- position food and shelter in respect to Sudan, which
:41:11. > :41:17.hitherto has not, until recently, been required to be used. And also,
:41:17. > :41:19.why in respect of Pakistan, we are already trying to ensure that we
:41:19. > :41:25.understand the monsoon baton in case of there is any flooding which
:41:25. > :41:28.takes place this year. So the point he makes about encouraging
:41:28. > :41:34.resilient and anticipation is one that this review and the
:41:34. > :41:40.government's response recognises. Can I welcome the statement by the
:41:40. > :41:44.Secretary of State, he will know that the appalling earthquake seven
:41:44. > :41:50.years ago, what steps is his department taking to actively plan
:41:50. > :41:56.for that and assist if the need arises? My honourable friend
:41:56. > :42:02.accurately recognises a serious threat which exists within Nepal,
:42:02. > :42:08.one of the reasons why the secretary -- Minister has been
:42:08. > :42:13.taking an interest, visiting Nepal, and talking to people there, and
:42:13. > :42:15.why it in other areas of stress and vulnerability as well, we take a
:42:16. > :42:21.strong account of all our planning of the points which he so rightly
:42:21. > :42:26.makes. A can I also welcome Lord Ashton's report and the Secretary
:42:26. > :42:30.of State's statement. Does he agree that when a humanitarian emergency
:42:30. > :42:35.result from a political crisis it there our political dangers for
:42:35. > :42:40.those involved? He will remember the kidnapping of the head of
:42:40. > :42:44.carried task in Ivory Coast. While soldiers will continue to provide
:42:45. > :42:50.an important role, will he ensure that assistant is always given on
:42:50. > :42:55.its own merits and is not conditional on military engagement?
:42:55. > :43:00.He makes a very good., which I sort to be clear about in my opening
:43:00. > :43:04.remarks. Humanitarian relief must be needs based and must not take
:43:04. > :43:09.account of those other extraneous factors. That is the commitment of
:43:09. > :43:16.the British government, it has long been a commitment of governments of
:43:16. > :43:21.all parties. Went ever disaster strikes, and in almost whatever
:43:21. > :43:25.form, it always seems to be a shortage of helicopters. What can
:43:25. > :43:31.we better do to have improved international co-ordination for a
:43:31. > :43:36.quick and better response, introducing helicopter lift
:43:36. > :43:39.capacity to these emergency zones? My honourable friend makes a
:43:39. > :43:43.extremely good point, and he is right to identify that,
:43:43. > :43:48.particularly in Pakistan last summer, as one of the critical
:43:48. > :43:51.pinch points. We are considering that, along with a number of other
:43:51. > :43:59.similar issues, and I had to have more to say in due course about
:43:59. > :44:03.that. -- i hope to have a. Secretary of State, in his
:44:03. > :44:07.introduction, said it, we will intervene directly where the UK can
:44:07. > :44:14.contribute in ways that others cannot. I welcome that, but could
:44:14. > :44:19.he clarify, is this in the sense of the responsibility to protect
:44:19. > :44:23.agenda? And as such, does he agree with me that very often,
:44:23. > :44:28.humanitarian disasters happen in areas of conflict or failed states,
:44:28. > :44:33.and therefore, we have a responsibility to recognise that we
:44:33. > :44:40.sometimes have to act quickly and also sometimes without the
:44:40. > :44:44.agreement of the government in the situation there. In respect of the
:44:44. > :44:49.responsibility to protect, he will know that he is there using a
:44:49. > :44:54.technical UN term which triggers certain other actions. The point I
:44:55. > :44:59.was making was a more Marat point than that, that where Britain has
:44:59. > :45:05.the capacity to intervene, in a humanitarian situation, we would
:45:05. > :45:09.always consider whether it is right to do so. That is the point I was
:45:09. > :45:15.making in that remark, it was a narrower point then that's in which
:45:15. > :45:19.he seeks to get me to proceed! want to warmly welcome both the
:45:19. > :45:25.report of Lord Ashdown, and also the government's response to read
:45:25. > :45:29.today. In a humanitarian crisis, securing Christ -- access to clean
:45:29. > :45:34.water is often one of the challenges. Does he agree with me
:45:34. > :45:40.that engineering charities such as Water Aid are given the support
:45:40. > :45:46.they need to provide technical assistance, but also to scale local
:45:46. > :45:53.people to make that sustainable? She makes a very good point.
:45:53. > :46:00.Firstly in identifying it two of Britain's brilliant NGO's, which to
:46:00. > :46:04.some of the best work anywhere in the world. And also to provide
:46:04. > :46:09.clean water, Britain is doing this in terms of a steady state
:46:09. > :46:11.development, with a commitment to get more clean water and sanitation
:46:11. > :46:16.it than the total population of Scotland, Wales and Northern
:46:16. > :46:20.Ireland. In terms of our work through the cluster system, giving
:46:21. > :46:27.strong support on water and sanitation, not least to Oxfam,
:46:27. > :46:31.this is an absolute priority in almost all humanitarian disasters.
:46:31. > :46:38.The objectives set out in law - down's report will require what he
:46:38. > :46:41.calls a transformation change in all of the departments to give
:46:41. > :46:45.greater prominence to the humanitarian agenda. Will the
:46:45. > :46:50.Secretary of State be setting out in more detail how he intends to
:46:50. > :46:57.bring forward their transformational change, in
:46:57. > :47:03.particular with regard to staffing and -- staffing of projects?
:47:03. > :47:08.answer is I will and I have. I commend to her the 35 page report,
:47:08. > :47:18.which should now be on the internet, and urge her to have a look at it.
:47:18. > :47:20.
:47:20. > :47:24.I urge her to response -- responded she has any additional comments.
:47:24. > :47:30.Looking to all the humanitarian aid we give to natural disasters, in
:47:30. > :47:33.Pakistan, in countries with syrup - - civil unrest like Syria, the
:47:33. > :47:40.feedback me from some of those countries is that those of the
:47:40. > :47:44.Christian faith are those at the back of the queue, ignored by
:47:44. > :47:49.humanitarian aid and assistance for those of that faith. What steps
:47:49. > :47:53.will the Minister take to ensure that this two-tier system of
:47:53. > :48:00.assistance will not disadvantaged them? I hear these allegations from
:48:00. > :48:03.time to time, and I always ensure that they are investigated with the
:48:03. > :48:06.seriousness and rigour with which such allegations deserve. I can
:48:06. > :48:11.tell the honourable gentleman that we have set up a working party with
:48:11. > :48:16.all the faith communities, which will commence its work shortly. I
:48:16. > :48:20.think that will be quite a good issue for the faith communities to
:48:20. > :48:28.address and advise on, but on the specific point he makes, I can
:48:28. > :48:36.assure him I take all these matters all -- very seriously. Point of
:48:36. > :48:42.order. Eric Joyce. I received a letter this morning prior to asking
:48:42. > :48:46.about the question, from a solicitor's, referring to comments
:48:47. > :48:50.I made during the adjournment debate in May, accusing me of the
:48:50. > :48:54.misuse of parliamentary privilege, for which I think I should ask your
:48:54. > :48:59.advice on what I should do next. It seems to me if I call someone a
:48:59. > :49:03.shady middlemen, that is what I think, and that is what I think is
:49:03. > :49:13.it true, it is a use of Parliamentary privilege rather than
:49:13. > :49:17.an misuse. I'm grateful to the honourable gentleman for his. Order,
:49:17. > :49:23.and for advance notice of his intention to put it to me. My
:49:23. > :49:30.response is twofold. First, if the honourable gentleman wishes to make
:49:30. > :49:35.a complaint about the attempted denial of his parliamentary
:49:35. > :49:43.privilege by the firm of Roy is to which he refers, he needs to write
:49:43. > :49:47.to me and I will then consider that complaint -- the firm of lawyers.
:49:47. > :49:55.Secondly, I would simply say that I recall very clearly that I was in
:49:55. > :50:02.the chair for the adjournment debate of the honourable gentleman
:50:02. > :50:10.on 23rd May. If he had been out of order, I would have said so. I did
:50:11. > :50:18.not, because he was not. Point of order, Ian Lucas. Earlier today I
:50:18. > :50:21.asked the Minister of State whether he could tell me the date on which
:50:21. > :50:25.the Parliamentary Counsel were instructed to draft amendments to
:50:25. > :50:30.the Health and Social Care Bill following the NHS consultation. In
:50:30. > :50:34.response, the Minister of State referred me to the health secretary,
:50:34. > :50:38.whereas against fact it is he who was responsible for Parliamentary
:50:38. > :50:43.Counsel, and should be responding to that question. What guidance can
:50:44. > :50:48.you give me as to obtaining that information, as the minister of
:50:48. > :50:52.state responsible did not respond to the question? I am grateful to
:50:52. > :50:57.the honourable gentleman for his point of order, about which I have
:50:57. > :51:04.been and sizes. I'm giving an off- the-cuff response to the honourable
:51:04. > :51:07.gentleman, and it is that, which Minister responds to a particular
:51:07. > :51:13.question put by the honourable gentleman is a matter for the
:51:13. > :51:16.government. I am a sorry if the honourable gentleman is
:51:17. > :51:21.disappointed by the response, or what he regards as the absence of
:51:21. > :51:26.our response, but he is an experienced and indefatigable
:51:26. > :51:31.member, who I feel sure will find other ways, possibly through the
:51:31. > :51:41.Table Office, to pursue his concerns. If there are no further
:51:41. > :51:44.
:51:44. > :51:48.points of order, we come to the Thank you. I beg that leave be
:51:48. > :51:52.given to bring in a bill to designate the Monday after
:51:52. > :51:56.Remembrance Day as an national Bank Holiday. I believe that this change
:51:56. > :52:02.will consolidate and entrenched long term public support for an
:52:02. > :52:06.armed forces. My constituency a Devizes includes many of the
:52:06. > :52:10.Salisbury Plain garrisoned pounds, and is home to over 10,000 members
:52:10. > :52:15.of the armed forces, and at least the same number of service family
:52:15. > :52:19.members. My father, both grandfathers, and by great-
:52:20. > :52:26.grandfather served with the British Army. And therefore particularly
:52:26. > :52:33.proud to wear applied -- poppy in November, Sport various charity
:52:33. > :52:37.wristbands, attend parades both in Westminster and Wiltshire, observe
:52:37. > :52:47.the San -- silence on Armistice Day, and laid a wreath on remnants
:52:47. > :52:49.
:52:49. > :52:54.Sunday. -- Remembrance Sunday. I am also proud to support Armed Forces
:52:54. > :52:59.Day, introduced over two years ago, and held in late June. I know that
:52:59. > :53:04.in all of this support, I am joined by members across the House and
:53:04. > :53:06.millions of people across the country. I feel that with all these
:53:06. > :53:12.initiatives and opportunities to show our support, we have perhaps
:53:12. > :53:19.fragmented that support, diluted the brand, if you like. Many events
:53:19. > :53:25.are scheduled for or weekends, when working families, I know this
:53:25. > :53:30.myself, can face many time pressures. It makes their
:53:30. > :53:35.participation in weekend events sometimes difficult. Also, I am
:53:35. > :53:40.concerned that while we have seen her real willing of support for the
:53:40. > :53:47.armed forces in the last few years, to in knows -- due in no small part
:53:47. > :53:53.to the work of the British Legion, who of the custodians, as well as
:53:53. > :53:57.help for heroes, and the Army Benevolent Fund, when our soldiers
:53:57. > :54:02.finally return home from their current operations, it may be
:54:02. > :54:06.difficult to keep this momentum going. And to ensure that we as a
:54:06. > :54:10.country deliver on our obligations under the military government. I
:54:10. > :54:14.believe a day set aside in our busy calendars at for remembrance,
:54:14. > :54:20.support and celebration of our armed forces, which helped keep the
:54:20. > :54:24.support a live for the future. This is not AA radical select --
:54:24. > :54:30.suggestion. Many other countries pay tribute to their armed forces
:54:30. > :54:35.this Wakeham with a national holiday, including the US, Canada,
:54:35. > :54:41.France, Russia and Israel. Amongst the five countries spending most on
:54:41. > :54:45.their military budgets, it is only Britain and China they do not have
:54:45. > :54:51.a military -- a national holiday to commemorate their service personnel.
:54:51. > :54:55.At least in China, soldiers get a half day off on on the day. With
:54:55. > :55:00.your indulgence, I would like to take the House with me on a 10,000
:55:00. > :55:04.mile trip to the southern hemisphere, and consider Anzac Day
:55:04. > :55:11.in New Zealand and Australia. As many members no, I have the good
:55:11. > :55:15.fortune to be married to a Kiwi. It was his reminiscences of Anzac Day,
:55:15. > :55:25.and national holiday, held on 25th April, that has contributed to my
:55:25. > :55:31.
:55:31. > :55:36.They can tell you how many false, how many died, how many were
:55:36. > :55:41.wounded and how many and who fell from their own school. In many
:55:41. > :55:46.cases they have made a pilgrimage to that site. Do you think, Mr
:55:46. > :55:50.Speaker, if we asked a similar cohort of British young people to
:55:50. > :55:55.name even one First World War battle, let alone the casualty
:55:55. > :55:59.numbers from that, that we would have a similar result? I think not,
:55:59. > :56:05.but setting aside a national day of remembrance and celebration would
:56:05. > :56:08.help us all with that collective memory. I have suggested the Monday
:56:08. > :56:14.after Remembrance Day as a bank holiday. I would equally be in
:56:14. > :56:19.favour of having the holiday on Armistice Day itself, but I am away
:56:19. > :56:28.-- aware that the British Legion is worried about the dilution of the
:56:28. > :56:33.long-standing tradition of the silence. It is my view that one of
:56:33. > :56:36.these historically resonant dates is appropriate. While it is not for
:56:36. > :56:42.me to propose an additional bank holiday, which I know would be
:56:42. > :56:45.popular, I am aware that that would cause concern for businesses. But
:56:45. > :56:51.however if we look at the current suspicion of bank holidays, there
:56:51. > :56:56.are clearly some anomalies. This year we have had one bank holiday
:56:56. > :57:01.in January, three in April, and two in May, but there is only one more
:57:01. > :57:05.in August to look forward to until the Christmas break. I know that
:57:05. > :57:11.many people think that trading one of those bank holidays, suggestions
:57:11. > :57:16.are, one of the ones in May, for a Remembrance Day holiday in November
:57:16. > :57:20.would be a reasonable swap. I know that members from all sides of the
:57:20. > :57:24.House support this motion, although my honourable friend from north
:57:24. > :57:31.Wiltshire said he would do so on the basis that this a holiday be
:57:31. > :57:34.called Wootton Bassett des. I am very relaxed about the title but I
:57:34. > :57:39.know the British people are also supportive of this idea. In a
:57:39. > :57:43.recent poll, Remembrance Day along with St George's Day were the
:57:43. > :57:47.favoured dates for an additional holiday in Great Britain. Mr
:57:47. > :57:51.Speaker, lasted less than the day with young men and women of the
:57:51. > :57:56.British Army. Many of them who are preparing to deploy to Afghanistan
:57:56. > :58:02.in the next few months. I was deeply moved by the spirit,
:58:02. > :58:06.dedication, determination and quiet courage of those young people. I
:58:06. > :58:11.would like the whole country to have an opportunity to pay tribute
:58:11. > :58:17.to them, their comrades, veterans of the services and to those who
:58:17. > :58:27.have fallen to whom we owe so much. I therefore commend this bill to
:58:27. > :58:28.
:58:28. > :58:38.the House. The question is if the memorable -- honourable member have
:58:38. > :58:48.