15/06/2011 House of Commons

If I can just her appeal on these occasions to members leaving the

chamber, to do so quickly and quietly so that those remaining can

listen uninterrupted to the statement of the Secretary of State.

With permission, Mr Speaker, I should like to make a statement on

the Government's response which I am publishing in detail on line

later to the humanitarian and emergency response review carried

out by the noble lord Lord Ashdown. The Ashdown report is an impressive

document. It makes a compelling, clear and powerful case for reform.

This government agrees with the central thesis of the review and

will except the vast majority of its specific recommendations. In

many areas we will go beyond the specific recommendations of the

review. In order to drive faster improvement in the international

response to disasters. I am extremely grateful to Lord Ashdown

for the work they have done to produce such a compelling and well

argued review. His formidable insight and experience shine

through it. I am grateful also to all those who have taken the time

and trouble to respond to the consultation and whose experience

has added to the quality of the recommendations. I pay tribute to

date to those Brits around the world working tirelessly in extreme

circumstances to save lives during humanitarian crisis Mac. Their work

often unsung and undertaken at personal risk is truly heroic and I

pay tribute to the role of the British armed forces in responding

to humanitarian emergencies. In Pakistan last year, our forces

provided swift and effective relief flying emergency bridges to

reconnect family separated by the floods. In Haiti they brought life-

saving equipment and supplies to those stricken by the earthquake.

Lord Ashdown's report says a challenging agenda for the 21st

century. It recognises that while disasters are nothing new, we are

experiencing a sudden increase in their intensity and frequency. It

makes clear that this trend will only grow with climate change,

population growth and greater and - - greater urbanisation. The review

concluded that DFID has played a strong role in improving the

quality of response. This is an area where Britain is well

respected and well regarded. But there was no room for complacency,

which is why I commissioned a review and why this government will

take action to implement it. In the UK government response to the

review, I have set out how in collaboration with others we will

rise to the challenges presented. How we will do more to help people

stricken by disasters and emergencies. There are some

fundamental principles that will guide our response to humanitarian

emergencies. First we will continue to apply the core principles of

humanity, impartiality and neutrality to all British

Government humanitarian action. Second we will respect and promote

respect for international humanitarian law. Third and

crucially we will be motivated not by political security or economic

objectives but I need and need a loan. We will deliver humanitarian

assistance in three main ways - we will provide predictable support

for our multilateral humanitarian partners including the Red Cross

movement and the United Nations. In humanitarian emergencies wear

berets need, we will provide additional resources to the

international system. We will intervene directly where the UK can

contribute in ways that others cannot all wear berets substantial

public interest in our doing so. Let me turn out to the detail of

our response. Lord Ashdown's report identifies seven specific themes -

resilience, anticipation, leadership, innovation,

accountability, partnership and humanitarian space. It is not

enough for us simply to pick up the pieces once a disaster has struck.

We need to help Honourable committees prepare for disasters

and to become more resilient. This is where we can have the most

impact and where we can do that lives from being lost. More

resilient communities and countries will also recover faster from

disaster. I commit DFID to build resilience into all its country

programmes. Second we must anticipate and be prepared for

disasters. We will work with governments and the international

system to become better at understanding where climate change,

seismic activity, seizure of fluctuations and conflicts were

leaked to humanitarian disasters. With are those will set up a global

risk register of those countries most at risk so that the

international effort can be more focused. The review calls for

stronger leadership by the international community. We

strongly agree that the United Nations must be central to this and

I am pleased that under the leadership of the emergency relief

co-ordinator, the noble baroness, Baroness Amos, the UN has already

made this a priority. Britain will back her agenda for change but I

accept that significant challenges remain. Members across the House

need only to look back to the Haiti earthquake or the Pakistan floods

to see examples of the United Nations failing to deliver the

leadership that was needed. We will work with other donors for much-

needed reforms. The review highlights the role innovation and

science can play in every aspect of humanitarian response. We will

establish an innovations Team which a embeds research and innovation

into our core work. We must always be accountable and transparent

about how we spend our development budget. It is taxpayers' money,

that duty of accountability extends not only to British citizens and

tax payers but to those who depend upon our aid. We will make

accountability central to our humanitarian work and we will do

more to measure our own impact and that of our partners. Rarely is

partnership more important than in the delivery of her manner Terry

and eight. The strength and quality of that court nation can make the

difference between life and death. We must try to develop stronger

alliances, particularly with new donors including the Gulf States,

China and Brazil. We must improve the quality of our relationships

with other bilateral donors are making sure our efforts are better

co-ordinated and the burden of responsibility shed. I also want to

involve fully charities, NGO, if they'd groups and the private

sector in our emergency response work. The review calls for the

Protection and expansion of humanitarian space including for

people affected by armed conflict. This is crucial to our aim of

protecting civilians in conflict situations. We must make a

consolidated effort across government using all diplomatic,

legal, humanitarian, military tours to secure immediate access for

humanitarian relief whenever we can. We recognise that to deliver this

ambitious agenda it is right that we change the way we fund the

system making it more effective and efficient, particularly in the

first hour was of an emergency. I have looked at the performance and

efficiency that different humanitarian agencies offer, many

offer good value for money and have a sound track record in delivering

results, so the lives and reducing suffering and some of the world's

most difficult places. Some do not. I am therefore outlining today

increased support for the best performing humanitarian

multilateral as. I have also commissioned work to design any

fitted -- facility that will enable pre-qualified charities and NGOs to

respond to crises within the first 72 hours and design a mechanism to

support the strongest performing charities to improve the timeliness

and quality of responses to humanitarian causes. The Government

will consult further on the details of these two instruments. This

country is a world leader in responding to humanitarian

emergencies. By implementing a Lord Ashdown's recommendations, working

alongside new partners, the private sector and other countries'

governments, we can be even better. I want this House and this country

to be proud of our efforts, knowing that we in Britain will be there

when the disasters strike. Let me end with the words of a survivor of

a cyclone in Haiti. The water started to rise and it did not stop.

The water was already high and strong that I could not hold on to

one of my children and the water swept her away. Luckily someone was

there to grab her. By command the Mr Speaker, I thank the Secretary

of State for his statement. Can I advise the House that I am speaking

today because the shadow Secretary of State is currently visiting

Sierra Leone. We welcome the report, and I pay tribute to him and those

who worked with him to produce an impressive and excellent set of

proposals. Over last year, in Pakistan, 80, Chile, Japan, New

Zealand, we have seen the terrible destruction caused by a range of

natural disasters. In Libya and the Ivory Coast more we have seen how a

humanitarian crisis can develop incredibly rapidly, threatening the

livelihoods of thousands of people. The report reminds us that all

these crises are likely to increase, and we must be ready to respond

rapidly and effectively. We welcome the report's emphasis on working

through multilateral organisations. Does he agree with me that working

multilaterally is the best way to ensure greater coherence in

response to and to prevent disaster? The report recognises

that Dyfed has been widely praised friends leading role within the

international humanitarian community, and sent 2005 the

department has been one of the leading voices in calling for

reforms in the international humanitarian system. We welcome the

fact that the Government recognises that the need to strengthen its

national leadership, but can ask him what cynics steps he will take

to bring about that change? -- specific steps? Can I ask him why

the government is rejecting recommendations in the report to

encourage the convening of a UN high-level panel to look at ways of

improving the international system to face a future challenges? How I

fit in government led to an extension of the important central

emergency response fund, and the report says it should be expanded

further. Welcome at the $40 million announced last year, but can the

Secretary of State tell us what the UK is doing to push other donor

countries to make a similar contribution? As well as

improvements in response to disaster, does he agree with me

that the international community must do more to help prevent

disasters, as the report underlines? As we have recently

seen in Libya, gaining access to deliver humanitarian relief can be

extremely difficult. I want to pay tribute to the many organisations

like Islamic Relief, Save the children, who are often the first

to reach a those who need help. Can he reassure us he will do all he

can to ensure aid workers can operate in safety? Dyfed is indeed

rightly recognised around the world to its leadership in responding

times of crisis. Does he agree with me that in anticipating and

responding to a humanitarian emergencies, having expired and

skilled people is essential? Can he reassure us that given Dyfed is

reducing its administration budget by a third, the necessary

investment will be made? Lord Astor and's report recognises that the

international humanitarian system is poorly equipped to ensure a

response to the most vulnerable, women, children and the elderly. I

welcome what he had to say today in that regard, and what the response

from the government says in the full report. But will he assure us

that the government will ensure that across the areas identified in

the report, women in particular will be involved in the response to

the disaster wherever it occurs? The report also underlines the

important role that diaspora communities played it in responding

to disaster, by raising awareness. I am glad he recognises that. Can

he give us more information what he will do to ensure there is greater

recognition of the money that the hard-working people in the UK sent

home to people in the developing world? The Ashdown report is an

important step, in government, Lader provided real reform, but we

know there is much more to do. As he said, humanitarian work cannot

be the sticking plaster for a lack of political action, but it can

make an important contribution to alleviating suffering around the

world. Today's will, words, now about to be transformed into the

concrete action that is needed to ensure that in times of crisis, we

help those who need it most. Speaker, I thank the honourable

gentleman for his welcome, and his words about the team who have

constructed the Ashdown report, under Lord Ashdown, and the

response from my team, particularly in Chase and the humanitarian

department. He is right to say that there is a huge amount of common

ground on this, and will realised in opposition that there was a

necessity, not to be complacent, to accept we can do things better.

That is why the Prime Minister, in opposition, called for a report

like this, and why we have carried it out. He is also right to

underline the point that all serious research suggests that the

number of disasters will increase by as much as 50% over the next 15

years. That adds additional urgency to the work that we are doing. He

is also right to make it clear that the right way and leading in these

disasters is through the multilateral system, which is why

we are determined to make our part better, but that the cluster system

that operates in that is the right approach. We will be doing

everything we can to see that it improves. On the issue of the

special fund that was set up by the Rt Hon gentleman, which received

strong support from the opposition at the time, we think it works

extremely well, it does provide additional and immediate money in

events of a disaster. That is why we have significantly increased

resources to the fund, and with the additional fund that I announced

today, helping in the first 72 hours with pre-qualified charities

and NGOs, will be able to carry on the principle of that work in a

more effective way. He is right to make the point that building in

resilient from day one is vital in all the work that we do. That is

now happening. He is entirely correct to point to the importance

of gaining access for humanitarian relief, something we have

consistently called for in Libya, and continue to call for in Syria

and in Sudan. He is absolutely correct to say that women should

always be involved in this work, the role of women, as people who

suffer in the front line from humanitarian disasters is very well

understood, and we give it our strong support in this work. On the

point he makes about Remittance, I agree with him, on transparency in

all we did. The money we spend his taxpayers' money. We are absolutely

committed, that is why we published the transparency guarantee early on

in the lifetime of this government. In respect of the use of taxpayers'

money in alleviating the flood that took place in Pakistan last year,

we had a floods monitor online so people could see how taxpayers'

money was being spent, and what relief it was securing. In respect

of these proposals, the Select Committee have announced that they

will be looking to see that we are enacting all the things we have

said we will do, in a year's time. Can I thank the Secretary of State

for his statement, and the noble Lord Ashdown for his excellent

report, and behalf of the committee, for his active engagement with us

on two separate occasions. I note that the Secretary of State says

he's publishing in more detail the steps that are taking to improve

the UK response. Kenny indicate what kind of role the UK can play

in getting a UN leadership to ensure that in the botched

vulnerable countries, the co- ordinator has the line management

authority to co-ordinate effective operations, and when he talks about

the co-operation of NGOs, Kenny ensure that will not just be the UK

response, but internationally, that will happen so that NGOs cannot get

in each other's way? My Rt Hon friend is entirely right about

those dangers come under no he and his committee have identified done

in respect to some of the work they have done, not least over the

crisis in Haiti, and the international response,

particularly in the early hours to that. In terms of co-ordination, I

didn't answer the question about the issue of high-level panel. I

think it is important to make clear that Baroness Amos is leading an

effective reform programme as the emergency relief co-ordinated. We

back her very strongly, the heads of the UN agency back her. I

continue to talk to her about the findings of the multilateral aid

review, and the work of this humanitarian emergency response

review. I think that is the right way to take this agenda forward.

Let us see how we get on with that. Can I thank the Secretary of State

for his statement, and also Lord Ashdown, for a very comprehensive

report. On the question other partnership, does the Secretary of

State agree with Lord Ashdown's very strong view that we should in

fact be consulting with those who received 80, with civil societies

in developing countries, with NGOs in the areas where there is an

established need, if only because they really, on the ground, are the

best people to tell us what is going on? The Rt Hon gentleman, who

is extremely experienced in these matters, is absolutely right

command I'm grateful to him up for his comments about the Lord Ashdown

report. On at the issue of partnership, which Lord Ashdown

identifies clearly, and the issue of accountability, they are at the

front of what we are seeking to do. When we published the multilateral

aid review, we didn't keep it as an internal document, we put it on

line, we invited does we were setting to comment on what we said.

We invited people who were recipients of this money to hold us

to account. He is right in saying that in the poorest parts of the

world, understanding the effect of what we do, what is the effect on

those we are seeking to help, is vital to making the whole operation

more effective. In welcoming this report, and the government's

response to it, can he confirm that he can see a significant role in

the future of this response to disaster, a role for small, niche

charities, like Shelterbox, who often first on the scene with

cooking facilities, water and so on. Does he see a role for charities

like that in the future? I am sure he does. I thank him very much for

his comments, he is right about the priority this Government makes in

ensuring we support some of these smaller charities. Many people on

both sides of the House will have seen them doing brilliant work

overseas. There is of course the global poverty Action Fund, which

will be having a flesh -- a fresh round in a month or two, and in

respect of Shelterbox, which will be known to many throughout the

House, they do a brilliant job. welcome the Secretary of State's

words today, and in particular his praise the the contribution of

British NGOs in responding to humanitarian disasters, but

appreciate his continuing support for the agency that Baroness Amos

Leeds are so well. Can I point out to him that it was disappointing to

it see that no British minister attended the meeting in December,

and given that America and France, two of our leading allies in the

development debate, do not contribute to the fund, could he

set out how his leadership on this issue will lead to this particular

topic being placed on the agenda of the G8 for European Union

development ministers, to lead a for more investment to help the UN

give the leadership are desperately needs to do? He will understand

that we consider attendance at these meetings on the basis of need,

whether our attendance rather than allow work in advance of the

meeting will have the most effect. By ministerial colleagues travel

ferociously in pursuit of this agenda. Going forward, there are a

large number of ways in which we have contributed to the shape of

the way the international community handles these emergencies, the

multilateral aid review played a significant part in that, the

Ashdown review has played an enormous part in that and is being

read avidly by most of those who engage in this work. We will

consider what is the most effective way Britain can intervene to ensure

the most overall effectiveness of this work. The UN has been

notoriously slow and unco-ordinated in the past to respond to certain

disasters. This has been as a result of poor leadership a. Would

he, not withstanding the report, his department will relentlessly

keep up the pressure with the wind? Because the next disaster, God

forbid, may come tomorrow. We need to know the UN will be fit for

It is the quality of leadership which determines how quickly we can

respond. Sometimes for those UN actors who are there on the ground

are extremely good at what they do it in normal times, but are not the

right people to respond to disasters. That is why it is

essential to get people there who can provide that quality of

leadership. The fact that the number two to Baroness was there in

Libya and he led to an immediate response of a much better quality

than we had seen previously. Many communities in my constituency,

particularly those from Pakistan and Bangladesh, have a commendable

record contributing to relief when humanitarian disaster strikes. Can

the Secretary of State give us more detail on how it expects to involve

these communities in relief work and ensure their expertise is taken

advantage of? It depends upon the disaster but he is entirely correct

to point to the valuable work that the committees do. In the case last

year of the Pakistan floods, they made a tremendous contribution not

only financially but through a number of different charities. The

very strong support they gave not least to Islamic Relief meant they

played a vital part in the overall British relief effort. In welcoming

this excellent report from the Government's response to it, would

my right honourable friend agree that many of the most deprived and

threatened people are those in war zones and would he agree that the

kind of into agents working, which he stressed so heavily, bringing

together a diplomatic military and a deck her -- aid effort is in the

very best interest of the criterion of need, rather than compromising

it? My honourable friend makes a good point and of course those

people who live in conflict areas lose out twice over. Once because

they are very poor and secondly because they are Pan Alley

frightened by the conflict going on, and that is why the coalition has

made a priority of trying to do much more in conflicted areas to

bring help to people who are doubly cursed in the way in which I

described. He is also right to point out that while humanitarian

relief should always be circumstance blind and help those

who are in great need, proper co- ordination amongst all those who

can help is essential. As the Secretary of State knows, there is

continuing argument in the development community over whether

it is appropriate for the military to deliver humanitarian aid. I

would like to pay my own tribute to British armed forces here I have

seen in many parts of the word -- world, delivering aid to people he

would have died if the British armed forces had not been there at

the appropriate time. The right honourable lady makes an excellent

point. Like her I have seen the way the military have delivered to

desperate people at times of great need. We saw it in Pakistan last

year. We have not needed military support to deliver aid in Libya so

far. The military has been willing to provide it. I have discussed it

creakingly with Valerie Amos who takes a sensible and pragmatic view

to this. In the interests that we all serve for trying to get aid and

support to people who are in greater need. I welcome the

excellent Secretary of State's statement today. One of the

problems appears to be the loss of life in the early hours of a

disaster and we have seen emergency response team is ready to go from

this country that had been stopped because they have no clearance to

land in the areas affected. What can be done about that? He is

referring to a particular incident of a Scottish charity that took

place. I have looked at that in detail and I am happy that what he

says about it is not correct. It is extremely important that there

should be really good co-ordination and we should not have what we saw

all too frequently in Haiti, which is a huge number of people heading

towards a disaster target without the co-ordination to ensure they

can be effective on the ground. A I welcome the report by the noble

lord Ashdown and the Government's response to it. The International

Development Committee found that some eight months after the

disaster of the Pakistan floods, only one-third of the �2 billion --

to billions dollar repeal had been disbursed in Pakistan. The noble

lord has reported a said it was disappointing having crossed

opportunities and lives. What leadership for the Government show

at a UN level? The honourable gentleman has identified one of the

problems in the relief in Pakistan that the international community

mounted and indeed the select committee upon which he serves has

produced a valuable report from which the international system will

learn relevant lessons. I think that it will be fair to say that as

far as Britain's support is concerned in Pakistan, Britain was

the first to come in scale to give very strong support to the people

in their greatest hours of need. Britain also continually pushed and

prodded the international system to up its game. That was what we did

at the time. Clearly that is also the tactics we are using now and

which this report will be helpful in achieving. A welcome the

positive response to the report. With the Government's pledge to

fulfil the 40-year-old promise to spend 0.7 % of our national income

on developing assistance, this process in a potentially world-

leading position in international development and humanitarian

assistance. Can the Secretary of State reassure us that on the pre-

qualification process, that this will not disadvantaged those

smaller local NGOs who are on the ground first and as the review

makes clear, often do an excellent job at low cost. He makes a good

point. In in terms of his last point, we will consult about the

pre-qualification process to ensure that does not happen. This will be

a fund to help those on the ground, so that in those first 72 hours

when action is critical, we can make sure that money is not a

barrier to immediate and effective actions. In respect to the gabby

pledging conference which took place yesterday, this has a direct

effect upon disaster because it stops children getting sick. We

should be enormously proud of Britain and the Prime Minister's

leadership, which as a result of the replenishing conference

succeeded its target. We will be able to vaccinate more than a

quarter of a billion children in the next few years and save nearly

5 million lives. I welcome the Secretary of State's thinking on

the faculty for emergency response, but can he assure us that there

will be no attention between the follow-through on the Ashdown

review and following through on the previous reviews with their

particular emphasis on buying results? There Ashdown review puts

emphasis on resilience, innovation science. The benefits from those

are not always quantifiable. Will he ensure that the recommendation

of of Ashdown's are not casualties? All of the reviews to which he

refers focus very directly on the results which we are achieving. Not

only to deliver real value for money for British taxpayers whose

money we are deploying, but also for those we are trying to help.

Although the Ashdown review was not very new to the Government, the

first two were reviews from the Government and I think if he looks

carefully at all three, he will find that there are seamlessly

joined in a common interest and that international development from

Britain is more effective and buys a greater results. I cannot think

of anyone better than Lord Ashdown to have done such a report. I

congratulate the Secretary of State for commissioning it. But the real

need for humanitarian responses and the world's is that properly it is

in the United Nations, and we have a first class person for emergency

co-ordination in Baroness Amos in the United Nations, but above her

in the United Nations, there is the Security Council which too often

makes decisions at the speed of a striking slug. Is there any way

that we as a permanent member of the Security Council can encourage

other members and ourselves to make a special case for emergency

responses, so we are not constrained by the requirements of

veto or unanimity or majority voting? My honourable friend to

knows a great deal about these issues Thamesmead to stray beyond

my areas of competence, but what I can say is that the Foreign

Secretary over the last trick has been ceaselessly engaged precisely

on this point in respect of any resolution on Syria. I am conscious

indeed of the point that he has made. I agree with him about the

fact it was right to appoint Lord Ashdown, whose peculiar combination

of talent and experience has led to this extremely good, why his report.

I agree with him entirely that it is important to prioritise and

understand that only the UN can be the chief co-ordinator of that.

That is essential if we are to get an effective response on the ground.

The Secretary of State has said he wishes to put women and girls at

the heart of his development policy. He will be aware that violence

against women is a feature often in these kinds of crisiss. How do we

better deal with that problem? is an absolute priority of the

Government to try and stop violence against women. We have 15 country

programmes where that is an absolute priority. I attended the

Home Secretary's meeting yesterday of Ministers on this very subject

and was able to talk about the international dimension of it. She

may arrested short -- rest assured that it remains at the top of the

agenda. It is women and girls who suffer more -- most from these

crisiss. Providing protection for children and four women who have

been displaced is the most important aspect of the protection

work we are doing. I want to welcome both D Ashdown report but

also the Government's response to it. DFID is a world-class

organisation with a world-class reputation. It is important that we

are focusing on the anticipation and though risk register is a great

addition of the tours that DFID can use. On that basis, will we also be

developing strategies that mitigate that risk and can insure that we

are pushing and helping countries move along a pathway to reduce the

risks they're facing in light of issues like climate change?

honourable friend identifies one of the seven key points made by Lord

Ashdown and his advisory committee on this report. Anticipating

disaster, ensuring that we develop a comprehensive risk register,

working on Disaster reduction, which is one of the things the

Minister of State has been focusing on in the port is essential if we

are to take this agenda forward. Even though the Secretary of State

has been in office for a year, he is turning out to be outstanding at

his job supported by a very fine team of Ministers. Will he confirm

that nothing in this statement will affect the ability of the

Government to deliver relief to the people of Yemen? One of the poorest

countries in the world now on the brink of civil war. Will he confirm

that he will still be able to help the people of Yemen? I thank the

honourable gentleman for his kind remarks. The importance of Yemen,

Yemen remains on a humanitarian knife edge. We are looking at me

its mapping within Yemen for the time that we can get back in their

and we continue to give very strong support to the agencies who are

conducting humanitarian relief in Yemen, and to bear in mind at all

times if there is more we can do to assist. I warmly welcome -- welcome

the Ashdown report and the Government's response but can I

strongly urge tarmac in order to better and dissipate help different

risk factors may threaten human life, for example, waters shortage

can turn a humanitarian problem into a humanitarian disaster.

is right to talk about the absolute importance of integration and I can

reassure her to this extent that a lot of the climate change work we

have taught -- doing, these are proposals that come to across a

ministerial board that includes my department, the Treasury and other

departments that have a direct interest. The importance of a cross

Whitehall collaboration in all of this, which I indicated in my

statement, is one we will not I welcome what it is about

resilience, but does he recognise that some humanitarian crisis can

be avoided if you do more work in food security and Prix positioning

food stocks in the Horn of Africa, say, or on climate change? You can

avoid it... Auditing and upstream country to warn a downstream

country that a flood is coming. Work must be done in his department,

in the UN, on this area. honourable gentleman is entirely

correct in what he says, it is, for example, why we have consistently

sought to pre- position food and shelter in respect to Sudan, which

hitherto has not, until recently, been required to be used. And also,

why in respect of Pakistan, we are already trying to ensure that we

understand the monsoon baton in case of there is any flooding which

takes place this year. So the point he makes about encouraging

resilient and anticipation is one that this review and the

government's response recognises. Can I welcome the statement by the

Secretary of State, he will know that the appalling earthquake seven

years ago, what steps is his department taking to actively plan

for that and assist if the need arises? My honourable friend

accurately recognises a serious threat which exists within Nepal,

one of the reasons why the secretary -- Minister has been

taking an interest, visiting Nepal, and talking to people there, and

why it in other areas of stress and vulnerability as well, we take a

strong account of all our planning of the points which he so rightly

makes. A can I also welcome Lord Ashton's report and the Secretary

of State's statement. Does he agree that when a humanitarian emergency

result from a political crisis it there our political dangers for

those involved? He will remember the kidnapping of the head of

carried task in Ivory Coast. While soldiers will continue to provide

an important role, will he ensure that assistant is always given on

its own merits and is not conditional on military engagement?

He makes a very good., which I sort to be clear about in my opening

remarks. Humanitarian relief must be needs based and must not take

account of those other extraneous factors. That is the commitment of

the British government, it has long been a commitment of governments of

all parties. Went ever disaster strikes, and in almost whatever

form, it always seems to be a shortage of helicopters. What can

we better do to have improved international co-ordination for a

quick and better response, introducing helicopter lift

capacity to these emergency zones? My honourable friend makes a

extremely good point, and he is right to identify that,

particularly in Pakistan last summer, as one of the critical

pinch points. We are considering that, along with a number of other

similar issues, and I had to have more to say in due course about

that. -- i hope to have a. Secretary of State, in his

introduction, said it, we will intervene directly where the UK can

contribute in ways that others cannot. I welcome that, but could

he clarify, is this in the sense of the responsibility to protect

agenda? And as such, does he agree with me that very often,

humanitarian disasters happen in areas of conflict or failed states,

and therefore, we have a responsibility to recognise that we

sometimes have to act quickly and also sometimes without the

agreement of the government in the situation there. In respect of the

responsibility to protect, he will know that he is there using a

technical UN term which triggers certain other actions. The point I

was making was a more Marat point than that, that where Britain has

the capacity to intervene, in a humanitarian situation, we would

always consider whether it is right to do so. That is the point I was

making in that remark, it was a narrower point then that's in which

he seeks to get me to proceed! want to warmly welcome both the

report of Lord Ashdown, and also the government's response to read

today. In a humanitarian crisis, securing Christ -- access to clean

water is often one of the challenges. Does he agree with me

that engineering charities such as Water Aid are given the support

they need to provide technical assistance, but also to scale local

people to make that sustainable? She makes a very good point.

Firstly in identifying it two of Britain's brilliant NGO's, which to

some of the best work anywhere in the world. And also to provide

clean water, Britain is doing this in terms of a steady state

development, with a commitment to get more clean water and sanitation

it than the total population of Scotland, Wales and Northern

Ireland. In terms of our work through the cluster system, giving

strong support on water and sanitation, not least to Oxfam,

this is an absolute priority in almost all humanitarian disasters.

The objectives set out in law - down's report will require what he

calls a transformation change in all of the departments to give

greater prominence to the humanitarian agenda. Will the

Secretary of State be setting out in more detail how he intends to

bring forward their transformational change, in

particular with regard to staffing and -- staffing of projects?

answer is I will and I have. I commend to her the 35 page report,

which should now be on the internet, and urge her to have a look at it.

I urge her to response -- responded she has any additional comments.

Looking to all the humanitarian aid we give to natural disasters, in

Pakistan, in countries with syrup - - civil unrest like Syria, the

feedback me from some of those countries is that those of the

Christian faith are those at the back of the queue, ignored by

humanitarian aid and assistance for those of that faith. What steps

will the Minister take to ensure that this two-tier system of

assistance will not disadvantaged them? I hear these allegations from

time to time, and I always ensure that they are investigated with the

seriousness and rigour with which such allegations deserve. I can

tell the honourable gentleman that we have set up a working party with

all the faith communities, which will commence its work shortly. I

think that will be quite a good issue for the faith communities to

address and advise on, but on the specific point he makes, I can

assure him I take all these matters all -- very seriously. Point of

order. Eric Joyce. I received a letter this morning prior to asking

about the question, from a solicitor's, referring to comments

I made during the adjournment debate in May, accusing me of the

misuse of parliamentary privilege, for which I think I should ask your

advice on what I should do next. It seems to me if I call someone a

shady middlemen, that is what I think, and that is what I think is

it true, it is a use of Parliamentary privilege rather than

an misuse. I'm grateful to the honourable gentleman for his. Order,

and for advance notice of his intention to put it to me. My

response is twofold. First, if the honourable gentleman wishes to make

a complaint about the attempted denial of his parliamentary

privilege by the firm of Roy is to which he refers, he needs to write

to me and I will then consider that complaint -- the firm of lawyers.

Secondly, I would simply say that I recall very clearly that I was in

the chair for the adjournment debate of the honourable gentleman

on 23rd May. If he had been out of order, I would have said so. I did

not, because he was not. Point of order, Ian Lucas. Earlier today I

asked the Minister of State whether he could tell me the date on which

the Parliamentary Counsel were instructed to draft amendments to

the Health and Social Care Bill following the NHS consultation. In

response, the Minister of State referred me to the health secretary,

whereas against fact it is he who was responsible for Parliamentary

Counsel, and should be responding to that question. What guidance can

you give me as to obtaining that information, as the minister of

state responsible did not respond to the question? I am grateful to

the honourable gentleman for his point of order, about which I have

been and sizes. I'm giving an off- the-cuff response to the honourable

gentleman, and it is that, which Minister responds to a particular

question put by the honourable gentleman is a matter for the

government. I am a sorry if the honourable gentleman is

disappointed by the response, or what he regards as the absence of

our response, but he is an experienced and indefatigable

member, who I feel sure will find other ways, possibly through the

Table Office, to pursue his concerns. If there are no further

points of order, we come to the Thank you. I beg that leave be

given to bring in a bill to designate the Monday after

Remembrance Day as an national Bank Holiday. I believe that this change

will consolidate and entrenched long term public support for an

armed forces. My constituency a Devizes includes many of the

Salisbury Plain garrisoned pounds, and is home to over 10,000 members

of the armed forces, and at least the same number of service family

members. My father, both grandfathers, and by great-

grandfather served with the British Army. And therefore particularly

proud to wear applied -- poppy in November, Sport various charity

wristbands, attend parades both in Westminster and Wiltshire, observe

the San -- silence on Armistice Day, and laid a wreath on remnants

Sunday. -- Remembrance Sunday. I am also proud to support Armed Forces

Day, introduced over two years ago, and held in late June. I know that

in all of this support, I am joined by members across the House and

millions of people across the country. I feel that with all these

initiatives and opportunities to show our support, we have perhaps

fragmented that support, diluted the brand, if you like. Many events

are scheduled for or weekends, when working families, I know this

myself, can face many time pressures. It makes their

participation in weekend events sometimes difficult. Also, I am

concerned that while we have seen her real willing of support for the

armed forces in the last few years, to in knows -- due in no small part

to the work of the British Legion, who of the custodians, as well as

help for heroes, and the Army Benevolent Fund, when our soldiers

finally return home from their current operations, it may be

difficult to keep this momentum going. And to ensure that we as a

country deliver on our obligations under the military government. I

believe a day set aside in our busy calendars at for remembrance,

support and celebration of our armed forces, which helped keep the

support a live for the future. This is not AA radical select --

suggestion. Many other countries pay tribute to their armed forces

this Wakeham with a national holiday, including the US, Canada,

France, Russia and Israel. Amongst the five countries spending most on

their military budgets, it is only Britain and China they do not have

a military -- a national holiday to commemorate their service personnel.

At least in China, soldiers get a half day off on on the day. With

your indulgence, I would like to take the House with me on a 10,000

mile trip to the southern hemisphere, and consider Anzac Day

in New Zealand and Australia. As many members no, I have the good

fortune to be married to a Kiwi. It was his reminiscences of Anzac Day,

and national holiday, held on 25th April, that has contributed to my

They can tell you how many false, how many died, how many were

wounded and how many and who fell from their own school. In many

cases they have made a pilgrimage to that site. Do you think, Mr

Speaker, if we asked a similar cohort of British young people to

name even one First World War battle, let alone the casualty

numbers from that, that we would have a similar result? I think not,

but setting aside a national day of remembrance and celebration would

help us all with that collective memory. I have suggested the Monday

after Remembrance Day as a bank holiday. I would equally be in

favour of having the holiday on Armistice Day itself, but I am away

-- aware that the British Legion is worried about the dilution of the

long-standing tradition of the silence. It is my view that one of

these historically resonant dates is appropriate. While it is not for

me to propose an additional bank holiday, which I know would be

popular, I am aware that that would cause concern for businesses. But

however if we look at the current suspicion of bank holidays, there

are clearly some anomalies. This year we have had one bank holiday

in January, three in April, and two in May, but there is only one more

in August to look forward to until the Christmas break. I know that

many people think that trading one of those bank holidays, suggestions

are, one of the ones in May, for a Remembrance Day holiday in November

would be a reasonable swap. I know that members from all sides of the

House support this motion, although my honourable friend from north

Wiltshire said he would do so on the basis that this a holiday be

called Wootton Bassett des. I am very relaxed about the title but I

know the British people are also supportive of this idea. In a

recent poll, Remembrance Day along with St George's Day were the

favoured dates for an additional holiday in Great Britain. Mr

Speaker, lasted less than the day with young men and women of the

British Army. Many of them who are preparing to deploy to Afghanistan

in the next few months. I was deeply moved by the spirit,

dedication, determination and quiet courage of those young people. I

would like the whole country to have an opportunity to pay tribute

to them, their comrades, veterans of the services and to those who

have fallen to whom we owe so much. I therefore commend this bill to

the House. The question is if the memorable -- honourable member have